The Apprentice, His Master and His Sister
by TheOriginalSnapespeare
Summary: This is the story of David Stutler an average physics nerd going through life with his head down. Dave's world is thrown upside down when he must work with Balthazar Blake to stop the evil sorcerer, Maxim Horvath. Throw in Dave's Well liked sister Rose, whose come to NYC for a visit, you have a recipe for Disaster! OC/Balthazar pairing.
1. Chapter 1

"David Stutler if you're not up and dressed in twenty minutes, I'm leaving without you!" Dave's seventeen year old sister, Rose, called up the stairs. _She's such a pain._ Dave thought as he sat up in bed petting his dog Tank. David glanced at his Buzz Lightyear alarm clock and groaned. The only reason Rosy wanted him up so early was so that she could hang out with her friends in the High School parking lot before school. "And don't forget you have your field trip to the city today!" Rose hollered upstairs once more. _The fieldtrip!_ David smiled. Jumping out of bed, Dave raced around the room collecting everything he'd need for school and getting dressed at the same time.

"See you after school Tank!" Dave said as he ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"Finally!" Rose's best friend and the Stutler's neighbor Lexi exclaimed once Dave entered the kitchen. Dave rolled his eyes, Lexi prided herself on being the most dramatic person in the room, she'd been that was since the Andrews moved next door four years ago. Not bothering the respond to Lexi, Dave opened the fridge and reached for the carton of milk.

"Oh no." Rose scolded, "If you wanted Breakfast you should have gotten up earlier." Closing the fridge, Rose handed her little brother a banana and ushered him out the front door. Grudgingly Dave climbed in the back of his sister's eighty-nine Mustang Convertible and started chomping away at the banana. The car reached the junior high relatively fast, but Dave was glad to be rid of his sister and her friend. He hopped out of the car and started searching for his only friend, Oscar, not bothering to say bye to Rose and Lexi.

"Kids." Lexi shrugged as Rosy put the car in gear, leaving for the High School.

* * *

"You're not supposed to be doing that Dave." Oscar pointed out. Dave ignored him and continued sketching something on the School bus window. Dave, Oscar and the rest of their class were on their way to New York City for a day long field trip.

"Wait for it...Now!" Dave exclaimed. In that instant Dave's sketch of a monkey with airplanes firing at it lined up perfectly with the Empire State Building, recreating the scene from King Kong.

"Hey Dave!" Becky Barnes shouted from the row across, "That's cool." She nodded with approval. Dave smiled back at her goofily. The bus came to a halt, the class had reached their first stop. Everyone filed out of the bus and gathered around their teacher , Miss Algar. Miss Algar began talking about the history of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Dave was only half-listening as he dig around in his backpack for a notebook. _I want to be Dave's: Friend or Girl Friend (Circle one.)_ Dave scrawled across the paper before tearing it off and whispering to Oscar.

"Pass this to Becky." Oscar nodded and passed the note to the girl next to him, whispering the same thing. The note was passed between three or four more kids before reaching Becky. Becky read the note and glanced back at Dave before circling something , folding the note back up and tucking it under a small rock. Miss Algar began leading the class to the Ellis Island Ferry so Dave ran forward to collect Becky's note. Just as he reached the rock Becky had tucked the note under, a gust of wind overturned the rock and carried the note away. Without thinking Dave began to chase after the note.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" He exclaimed weaving in and out of the crowded streets; following the fluttering piece of paper through the city. He paused momentary when he watched the note flutter into a creepy looking shop. _Arcana Cabana - Antiques, Obscurities, Unusual Gifts._ Dave read from the sign hanging above the door. The place was creepy, but Dave _had_ to know what Becky had circled. Pushing door to the shop open, Dave stepped inside, looking around. There was so much stuff crammed into this one little store. Dave wondered around trying to see everything at one. He didn't notice the three foot tall urn until he'd knocked into it and it was sailing towards the ground. A man appeared out of nowhere and stopped the urn from toppling to the ground.

"The second emperor of the Han dynasty locked his least loved wife in this urn for ten years to the day. They say the same will happen to you." The man stated. Dave's eyes widened as he looked up at the man. There was something eerily mystical about him. Maybe it was the leathery trench coat he was wearing or the light brown hair that fell just to the man's shoulders. Either way Dave was certain he didn't want to upset this man.

"I-I'm sorry!" Dave stammered. "I'm looking for this note, have you seen it? It kind of just blew into your store."

"a note?" The man asked.

"It blew into your store." David repeated. "It was just a..."

"Coincidence." The man said mystically.

"Yeah. It was just a coincidence."

"I have something I'd like to show you Dave." The man said as if he'd just decided something.

"How'd you know my name is Dave?" The boy questioned.

"Because I can read minds!" The man exclaimed. Dave's eyes opened wide in shock causing the man to chuckle. "It's on your backpack." he said before leaving the room. The man returned with a small stone box and placed it on the counter. Removing the lid, the man took out the box's contents, A dragon figurine. "This is very special and if it likes you, you can keep it." The man said holding the figurine out to Dave.

"I'd better not." Dave said shaking his head. "My teacher said I couldn't be gone for long. She knows I'm here."

"You're a bad liar Dave." Then man said seriously. "That's good." Dave turned to leave, but the shop door slammed shut. _Oh boy. _Reluctantly Dave turned back to the shopkeeper and plucked up the dragon. The instant the dragon was set it David's palm it shook its head and ruffled its wings. To Dave's amazement the dragon climbed to the other side of his hand, wrapped his legs and tail around his forefinger, folded its wings and settled there.

"No way." Dave whispered in astonishment.

"I have been searching a very long time." The man said with relief. "Magically, here you are. That ring on your finger means something Dave. It means you're going to be a very important sorcerer one day. And your first lesson begins with your very own Encantus. Do not move, do not touch anything." The man was very serious as he disappear from the room again.


	2. Chapter 2

David did what he was told, he did not more or touch anything...sort of. Dave was patiently waiting for the shopkeeper to comeback. While do did so, he studied the ring on his finger accidentally causing a few books to tumble off the shelf. Curious, Dave moved his hand from left to right, causing something to break out behind a nearby wall. Bending down, Dave picked up an oversized Russian nesting doll and studied it. Painted on the outside was an angry looking man in a fedora and a strange fur cloak, a cane clutched in one hand. His thick eyebrows were pulled together, and his lips drawn in a frown behind a mustache and goatee. A small fire began to spread from the middle of the doll as if it were burning from the inside-out. Dave dropped the doll in shock and watched it crack open when it hit the floor. The fire was gone, but a small cockroach crawled out. That cockroach was followed by another and another. Soon there were hundreds of them swarming and climbing to form something.

"No way!" Dave exclaimed as he watched the roaches climb higher and higher. Finally they stopped climbing and formed a man. It was the man from the shell of the nesting doll.

"When am I?" The man commanded.

"N-new York City." Dave stammered.

"Not _where_, the year." The man from the doll demanded. Dave didn't answer, he just stared up at the man with a gaping mouth. "_You_ are wasting my time." The man said. Dave watched in fear as the blue stop atop the man's cane began to glow as if it were charging up. Whatever the man had been about to do was stopped, because he was suddenly forced upwards.

"What happened to don't touch anything?" The shopkeeper asked. He'd returned to the room holding an gigantic book in one hand and using his other hand to keep the man from the doll at bay.

"That's no very sporting of you Balthazar!" The man from the doll shouted down at the shopkeeper.

"Be quite!" The shopkeeper, Balthazar, said back very calmly. "It's not you, he's been like this for a thousand years." Balthazar assured Dave. "I'll explain later, I need the grimhold. Where's that doll?" Unable to speak from fear and shock, Dave pointed frantically at the nesting doll on the floor. Balthazar placed the Encantus down and reached for the grimhold. The man from the doll, glad for Balthazar's distraction charged up his cane and sent the troublesome sorcerer flying. Standing on his own feet again, the man from the doll crushed Balthazar behind an antique wardrobe and reached down for the grimhold. Balthazar broke through the wardrobe easily enough and was able to leap forward, knocking the man off his feet. Dave ran across the store and hid behind the counter. Somewhere in the scuffle the nesting doll landed by Dave's feet. He scooped it up, determined to give it to Balthazar when the time came. Dave couldn't see what was going on from his spot behind the counter, but a jar came crashing down from somewhere, breaking and spilling water all over his pants. _I have to get out of here._ Dave thought cradling the doll to his chest and crawling out from behind to counter. He'd almost made it out of the store when an intense blast of heat caused him to turn around. Almost half of the store was on fire! Balthazar was nowhere to be seen, there was only the man from the doll, standing over Dave, leering at him.

"I want that doll." The man said menacingly. Dave knew he shouldn't give it to him, but it looked like he had no choice. Luckily as Dave was about to hand to grimhold over, Balthazar leapt out of the flames and tackled the other man to the ground. Dave attempted to get to his feet, but the man from the jar was pawing at him, grapsing at anything he could, Dave's shoe, his jacket, his backpack. Kicking Dave struggled to get free.

"Leave Dave! Leave now!" Dave managed to get to his feet just in time to watch Balthazar and the other man get sucked into the urn he'd almost knocked over earlier. Dave took the doll and ran out of the store as fast as he could.

* * *

"So I was thinking we should try out for the cheerleading squad or the dance team or even both." Rose said to Lexi as the two entered the Stutler house after school that day.

"I would, but I think that might interfere with my Drama Club meetings." Lexi replied as the two entered the kitchen.

"Hey do you hear that?" Rose whispered. Crying sounds were coming from the family room with two other voices conversing over the tears.

"Is that your mom?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "and my dad. So who's crying? Dave?"

"Let's go see what's going on." Lexi said dragging he friend into the family room.

"Mom, dad, what are you doing home?" Rose asked sitting on the couch next to her weeping brother. "Davey?" Rose whispered her seldom used nickname for her little brother. Davey what's wrong?"

"Your brother ran away on his fieldtrip today." David Stutler Sr. explained to his daughter.

"Don't say it like that," Susan Stutler said to her husband. "He was just lost. New York is a big city. I'm more worried about the hallucinations he's having."

"Hallucinations? You going crazy on us little guy?" Lexi snorted from the doorway.

"Hey uh, Lexi, maybe you should head home." Rose suggested , wrapping an arm around her sobbing brother. "I'll call you later?"

"Okay yeah." Lexi nodded. "Yeah I'll see myself out. Feel better Dave, Mr. and Mrs. Stutler." Once Lexi had exited the room, Rose managed to calm down David enough for him to explain everything that happened at the Arcana Cabana and beg his parents to transfer him to another school.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ten years Later (to the day)**

_Bleeep Bleeep Beeep_ Dave fumbled around trying to find his alarm clock's off button.

"Good morning beautiful." Dave smiled as he scratched Tank behind the ears. "Time for another day Tank old buddy." Dave stretched his arms high above his head and yawned. Still in his boxers, Dave shuffled into the kitchen where his roommate Bennet was drinking coffee and watching the news. Dave grabbed a twenty ounce bottle of Mountain Dew out of the fridge and joined Bennet at the kitchen table.

"Happy Birthday!" Bennet said sliding a small box across the table.

"Aww Thank you Bennet."

"You're up early." Bennet noticed.

"Professor Heiderman wants me to give a presentation to his Physics 101 class."

"What? Teaching long division to English Majors?" Bennet chuckled.

"I know, it's like the Peace Corp, but it's Heiderman's class." Dave shrugged. He decided to get up and make himself a bowl of cereal.

"Hey, bio nerds are getting drunk tonight and we invited cheerleaders from Princeton." Bennet said reminding Dave of the House Party happening in the apartment where of Bennet's fellow Biology Majors lived.

"Oh, so they're smart cheerleaders." David said sarcastically as he sat back down at the table.

"Seriously, you're saying you _don't_ want to go out on your birthday?"

"I got to finish my Tesla coil project if I want to graduate." Dave explained. Bennet put his empty coffee cup in the sink and took his calendar off the fridge.

"Dave are you familiar with the gray wolf?" Bennet pointed to the pack of gray wolves shown on that month's calender.

"Oh, no," Dave groaned massaging his temples. "Please Bennet, not this again with the gray wolf. I can't..."

"The gray wolf is a pack animal." Bennet said with gusto. Benne gave this speech to Dave at least once a month since they'd become roommates. "He must find a mate, he must hunt and grunt. He must participate." Finished with his cereal, Dave decided to go back into his bedroom and get dressed while Bennet continued his gray wolf lecture. "You're going to get booted out of the pack! Alone. Eaten by a hungry bear."

"That's a real pick-me-up pep talk, and I'm ready to go get the day." Dave said sarcastically as he reemerged from his bedroom. "Oh I almost forgot, my sister's coming to visit this week. Try and keep the place clean ok? She'll kill me if she has to stay at the lab for a whole week like last time."

"Man Rosy's coming to visit? I love your sister."

"Yeah well, she's a model, everybody loves her." Dave rolled his eyes and exited the apartment.

* * *

At school Dave was setting up a model Tesla coil for the intro kids when a group of laughing Freshman whipped the door to the lecture hall open sending some of Dave's research papers fluttering off the desk he was using. Groaning Dave bent down to pick them up. The last sheet of his notes where tucked under a girl's shoe. Being the awkward guy that he was, Dave reached down for the sheet of paper without thinking.

"Everything okay down there?" The girl who the shoe was attached to asked. Embarrassed, Dave snatched up the paper and added it to his fistful of notes. Dave fumbled for an explanation as he stood to face the girl.

"I-uh...I should just leave right?"

"Right." The girl laughed. Dave did turn back to his model for a second before doing a double-take of the girl.

"I'm sorry, Becky? Becky Barnes?" The girl stared back at him blankly. "Dave?" He pointed at himself. "We were in the sixth grade together?"

"I do know you." Becky said pointing at him with her pen. "Dave Stutler right?"

"That's me." Dave nodded.

"Yeah, you're that kid. What was that place called? Arcana..."

"Arcana Cabana? Yeah." Dave said embarrassingly.

"So did you transfer?"

"Yeah I did. My sister Rose talked my parents into it. Secretly I think she just wanted me to go away to boarding school. But, I got some help. You know what? It turns out it's just a glucose imbalance. Hallucinations? Not uncommon in young subjects."

"Ah." Becky said sweetly.

"It's a...great anecdote." Lucky for Dave, Professor Heiderman had arrived and wanted Dave to help him start the lesson. After class Dave caught up with Becky outside the lecture hall, offering to share his umbrella with her.

* * *

"So how are you enjoying Physics 101?"

"My brain just does not think physics." Becky groaned.

"So, what does it think then?"

"Music mostly." She laughed hating herself for saying something so cliché. "This is me." She said stopping in front of the door to the NYU radio station.

"You work at the radio station?" Dave said in amazement.

"Yeah I do an afternoon show." Becky said shyly.

"Are you kidding me? That's so cool!" Becky shrugged.

"It's just college radio. Like, seven people listen to it."

"I'll be listening to it. That's one more, you can round it up to eight." Dave smiled. A cackle of thunder erupted through the air, followed quickly by a flash of lightning. The lightning hit something on the room of the building causing Dave and Becky to look up.

"I think that's our antenna!" Becky shrieked. She and Dave ran into the radio station. Inside the radio studio Dave was able to fiddle around and get the antenna operational again.

"Thank you!" Becky breathed once the station was transmitting once again.

"No please it was my pleasure." Dave assured her. "I could tell this is all pretty important for you."

"My show is the one thing that...well you know."

"Mmm-hmm. Physics, that's my thing." Dave admitted. "Um, I'll see you around."

* * *

"You didn't ask her out?" Bennet shouted to the empty train turn around Dave was utilizing as lab space. "You just fixed her antenna and you left!" Her exclaimed.

"No that's not the point." Dave said looking up from the coil he was working on."She will remember me."

"She will remember me?" Bennet recoiled. "Who are you? Braveheart?"

"Bennet," Dave sighed, his roommate just didn't understand things like this. "I blew my shot at getting this girl ten years ago, I can't do it again. Now get out of here before you get electrocuted." Worried about his friends mental health, but knowing that when Dave got like this he was best left alone, Bennet left the lab and headed home. Dave turned on the radio the second he heard the door click shut behind Bennet. Becky's voice filled the space as Dave turned up the volume.

"_And it's a miracle we made it on the air tonight! This show may not matter, but the music does. THis is Becky Barnes, WNYU Radio hoping there's music all around you."_


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello?" Dave answered his phone just outside his apartment door. "Yes Rose I remembered You're coming to visit..._yes_ I told Bennet you were coming." Dave unlocked the door and swung it open. He proceeded into the apartment and began to search the fridge for something to eat. "_Yes_ we have cleaned the apartment." Dave assured his sister as he kicked an empty pizza box out of his way. Rose continued to nag him from the other end. "Maybe not the fridge though." He mumbled when the scent of bad Chinese food reached his nose. Closing the fridge Dave turned his attention upwards to the freezer. "Listen Rosy I promise everything will be ready before you get...hold on a sec." Bennet had pinned on of Dave's old homework assignments to the freezer door, most likely some passive agressive message Dave was too tired to understand. "Wait a second." Dave said to himself as he pulled the paper off the fridge. It wasn't some old homework assignment It was his essay on Napoleon Bonaparte from sixth grade. Dave could've sworn he'd lost it shortly after getting it back from Mrs. Algar. "Rose? Yeah I have to go, I'll-call-you-back-later-love-you-too-bye!" Dave said rapidly before hanging up the phone.

"I thought 'B minus' was generous." An unfamiliar voice spoke in the dark. Dave stumbled backward spotting a strangely familiar man seated in the corner. "I've recently been released from a ten year sentence, during which the only reading material available to me was your so called 'report' on Napoleon Bonaparte from your school bag. Your analysis was obvious, your prose was weak."

"I was ten!" Dave exclaimed not believing the sight before him.

"Irrelevant. Where's the Grimhold? That doll you took from the shop." The man said seriously. "That doll held something very powerful, something very valuable to me. You had it last, I want it back."

"Listen I'm...I threw it in the street!" Dave stammered.

"Where is the Grimhold?"

"It's been a long time. I don't actually know where it is." Dave said honestly. Using his magic the man summed a kitchen knife one of the boys had left out of the stove to his hand. Threateningly pointing the knife at Dave like a Dagger the man stood.

"I'll cut the truth out of you." Dave's fight or flight instincts finally kicked in, and he bolted through the still open door. Dave heard flashed of electricity, followed by the stranger shouting "GET HIM!" Whipping his head around, Dave saw he was being chased down by the pack of wolves from Bennet's ridiculous calendar.

"Wolves?" Dave whimpered as he ran down the stairs. "No, no, no, no." He chanted as he continued running. Once outside Dave ran up the stairs to a nearby train terminal and through a turnstile gate he knew the wolves couldn't penetrate. That only bought him a few moments time, as there was a pull door just to the side that Dave knew the man would be able to access. In a last ditch effort Dave jumped onto the tracks hoping to remain undetected by the wolves. His hopes were short lived as a wolf sniffed him out almost immediately.

"No, no, no!" Dave breathed running down the tracks. Unfortunately for him, his shoe lace caught in the track causing Dave to topple to the ground.

"Kill him." The man said plainly. Screaming Dave closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. A small thud hit him on the chest, then a second and a third. Opening his eyes, Dave smiled.

"Puppies?" Dave said holding up two miniature wolves. "Oh my!" Dave exclaimed as a giant silver eagle knocking the evil sorcerer onto the tracks. Straddling the top of the eagle was the shopkeeper from so long ago, Balthazar.

"Where's the doll Dave?" Balthazar asked from atop the eagle.

"Um...him him him!" Dave studdered pointing at the other sorcerer who was about to use him cane to cast a spell. With a flick of his wrist, Blathazar froze his long time nemesis, and gestured for Dave to climb above the eagle.

"All right get up here. Now! Hurry!" Placing the puppies on the platform, Dave scrabbled to his feet and reluctantly climbed on top of the eagle.

"No way! This is not happening! This is not happening!" Dave shrieked as the eagle took flight. "Oh I taste sour in my mouth." Dave groaned when his feet touched the roof of the Chrystler Building.

"Take it easy Dave, deep breaths." Balthazar instructed as he stroked the giant eagle's beak. The eagle then flapped its wings once more, resuming its post as eagle-gargoyle of the Chrystler Building.

"What?!" Dave exclaimed. "No that is not happening! No you are not doing this to me again! Do you have any idea what my life has been like for the last ten years?"

"I've been stuck in an urn for the last ten years." Balthazar countered.

"So have I!" Dave burst. "A...figurative urn of ridicule. Do you know that in certain parts of the tri-state area, they still refer to having a nervous breakdown as 'pulling a David Stutler'? My sister is the one who came up with it! Did you know that?"

"Try to be a good listener Dave." Balthazar said slowly. "That doll is called a Grimhold. it is a prison for the most dangerous Morganians in history, each one locked up in a layer of the doll. Horvath wants to free his fellow Morganians and destroy the world. This must not happen."

"Yeah, for sure." Dave said sarcastically.

"The truth is, "Balthazar stared at Dave with icy blue eyes. "you have a very special gift. You need to see that."

"I just want to be normal. Have a normal life. I want to forget about that day at Arcana Cabana. I want to forget about magic. I want to forget everything." Dave said finally.

"You should duck."

"What?" Dave covered head, tucking his face into his chest as he watch something large and heavy fall from the sky. When it landed with a thud he turned to see his dresser standing just behind him.

"You want to forget magic?" Balthazar shouted as he rummaged through Dave's dresser. "Then why did you keep the ring?" Balthazar asked holding up the dragon ring Dave had held onto after all this time.

"I-I-I was going to sell that...on eBay." Dave fumbled. In truth Dave had kept the ring for so long because it reminded him that he was someone special. That at one point in his life someone else had seen potential in David Stutler.

"You're still a bad liar Dave." Balthazar smiled. "I like that about you, it's a good sign."


	5. Chapter 5

"This was originally a subway turnaround." Dave told Balthazar as he led the way down to the lab. They'd just finished some serious butt kicking in China Town and Dave didn't think there was any surprises left for the day. "They let me work down here because some of my experiments skew a bit on the dangerous side. My professor has a hookup, so nobody knows we're down here." Dave swung open the door letting Balthazar step inside first.

"Is she one of your experiments Dave?" Balthazar asked once he stepped inside. _She?_

"She who?" Dave asked leaning past the sorcerer to get a better look.

"Experiment?" Rose Stutler shouted up at her brother and the tacky old man who was accompanying him.

"Rose what are you doing here?" Dave called down to her.

"Rose? Who's Rose?" Balthazar whispered. Dave ignored him, running down the stairs towards his sister.

"You weren't suppose to be here until tomorrow!" Dave said accusingly.

"I know but my flight tomorrow was cancelled, so they offered to let me fly out today free of charge." Rose explained. "Who's your friend?"

"I'm not his friend." Balthazar said firmly.

"Rose this is my...Professor Balthazar. He uh...teachers...um Alchemy." Dave managed to stammer out. Rose knew her brother was lying. David Stutler was a notoriously terrible liar, but Rose wanted her brother to feel comfortable telling her whatever he was lying about so she didn't press matters.

"Just call me Balthazar Miss Stutler." The sorcerer said offering his hand out. Shaking it Rosy smiled.

"Oh please, Rose is fine."

"Rose." Balthazar repeated with a smile.

"Hey ah Rosy," Dave interrupted."You weren't suppose to be here until tomorrow so I sort of made plans with Professor Balthazar. We're meeting to talk about my work for his class."

"Oh sorry." Rose frowned. "It's been awhile since I've been to the city anyway." She said suddenly cheery. " So, I'll use the time for some site seeing. Call me when you're done here Davy." Rose said ruffling her brother's hair. "Professor Balthazar." Rose nodded before climbing the stairs and exiting the lab.

"You have a sister?" Balthazar hissed once the door was secured behind Rose. "Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

"Yeah sorry I forgot to mention that minor detail when I was being chased by wolves and riding on a giant eagle or almost killed by an evil sorcerer."

"Dave you're the Prime-Merlinian. That means that you're a direct descendant of Merlin. If you have a sister, it's possible she may be a sorcerer too. If Horvath finds this out he may try to manipulate your sister."

"You don't know Rose." Dave snorted. "No one could manipulate Rose, she always gets what she wants."

"All the more reason to make sure her power doesn't fall into the wrong hands." Balthazar said seriously.

"Fine, fine I'll call her." Dave groaned, reaching for his cell phone. "Hey Rose? Yeah I know you just left...well you're not too far away right? Listen can you come back to the lab? My...professor wants to ask you a few questions. Yeah okay thanks." Dave hung up the phone and looked pointedly at Balthazar. "Happy?"

* * *

"Dave? Professor?" Rose called out when she returned to the lab ten minutes later, a tray of coffee shop products in her hand.

"It's about time!"

"Nice to see you again Miss Rose." The two men greeted as Rose came down the stairs.

"Sorry it took me so long, I stopped for coffee." Rose explained. " Dave chamomile tea with a little cream and half a sugar." She handed her brother a paper cup which he sipped from immediately. "And for you Professor, a dark roast with whole milk. Everyone on set always says how great I am at picking coffees for everyone. In another life I swear I'll be a barista." Rose laughed handing a coffee to Balthazar.

"On set? Are you an actress?" Balthazar asked, taking the coffee from Rose.

"Model." Rose and Dave answered at the same time.

"Ah I see. What do you model?" Balthazar asked.

"Oh anything really. But mostly jewelry and shoes. I haven't worked with anyone really big yet, you know just trying to get my name out there." She giggled taking a sip of her passion fruit tea.

"I have something I'd like you to try on." Balthazar set his coffee down on a nearby desk and dug around his trench coat for something. After a moment or two he produced a ring with a dark purple stone. "This ring used to belong to a very good friend of mine, I've been looking for someone to give it to but I haven't found the right person yet."

"It's beautiful." Rose breathed taking the ring from Balthazar and slipping it onto her right hand ring finger. "It fits!" She exclaimed.

"Yes it does." Balthazar said softly.

"Rose why don't you show Professor B here some of your modeling skills?" Dave suggested. Balthazar sent Dave a pointed glare at the use of the new nickname, but he was internally applauding the boy for his effort to trick his sister into magic.

"Great idea Dave." Rose nodded. She started turning her hand trying to catch the light in the stone like she would on set for a photo shoot. The desk next to them began rattling causing the desk's contents to bounce around. "Ah!' Rose exclaimed covering her mouth with her hands. The desk stopped rattling and settled on the floor as it had been before. "Did you guys see that?" Rose squeaked. Dave crossed his arms. Of course Rose was a sorcerer too. Everyone always told Rose how special she was. Why not give her the one thing that made Dave unique? Balthazar on the other hand, was in awe. In the time since Balthazar began searching for the Prime-Merlinian he'd come across many Morganians but no other Merlians. Most of them had disappeared or gone into hiding shortly after Merlin's death. Even rarer was an untrained sorcerer with no alliances.

"Miss Rose, we have to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

"The stone on that ring is a purple Sapphire. Sapphires are known to bring mental clarity and clear perception. They symbolize truth, fairness and honesty." Balthazar explained.

"What does any of that have to do with the desk moving?" Rose asked.

"The wearer of that ring must embody all of those things." Balthazar continued. "Because that is the type of magic that will be your most powerful when cast."

"Did-did he say _magic_?" Rose asked her brother.

"He did, yup." Dave nodded rapidly.

"My name is Balthazar Blake former apprentice to Merlin, sorcerer of the 777th degree."

"Did he say _sorcerer_?" Rose squeaked.

"Yes he did." Balthazar said firmly. "Young David here, is not only my apprentice but the prime-merlinian, a direct descendant of Merlin. That makes you, Miss Rose, a very powerful sorceress in your own right."

"Davy I know I said you need to get out more," Rose said in a concerned voice, "but drugs are not the answer." She whispered.

"Rose I'm not doing drugs." Dave said firmly.

"That's what someone who _was_ doing drugs would say." Rose pointed a finger at him.

"Yeah, it's also what someone who wasn't doing drugs would say." Dave exclaimed.

"Wait I've heard this before...that day Lexi Andrews and I came home and you were crying in the living room. You were what? Ten? Eleven? Oh god what was it you said? An old sorcerer had given you this dragon which caught a store on fire...so the guy was sucked into an urn or something. Dave this is insane." Rose said jumping to her feet. "I came to wish my baby brother a happy birthday not to listen to you and your drug dealer prattle on about this ridiculous sorcery crap. Call me when you've come down from your high." Rose marched across the lab and began stomping her way on the stairs.

"There's no need to be so dramatic." Balthazar called up to her. With a flick of his wrist the lab door locked. Despite her best efforts, Rose couldn't get the doorknob to budge.

"How cute." Rose snarled as she continued to fiddle with the door handle. "David Stutler let me out of here."

"I can't Rose, he hasn't taught me how to do that yet." David shouted back, internally chuckling at his sister's misfortune. Rose leaned against the door and sank to the floor, huffing a strand of dark brown hair out of her face.

"Why me?" She groaned.

"Rose come down so we can talk!" Dave hollered.

"No! You don't understand Dave."

"Oh I don't understand?" Dave snapped. "I've been living with this my whole life! I found out when I was eleven old, only to have it explained away as a glucose imbalance! Then I come home to experience near death twice!"

"No Dave, you _really_ don't understand." Rose said standing up. "Drake Stone the illusionist, ever heard of him?" Neither Dave nor Balthazar answered her. "Well I've met him once, tried to kill me."

"What does any of that have to do with what's going on here?" Dave asked.

"Drake stone is a sorcerer." Rose replied not moving from her place on the steps.

"You've met other sorcerer's before?" Balthazar questioned suddenly interested.

"Just the one." Rose assured him. "I was working a modeling job in Chicago when I ran into him. This was before he'd established himself and we were staying in the same hotel. He'd somehow found out about my magical abilities, abilities that I didn't know about myself. He insisted and insisted that I had to be a sorceress, but I denied it and eventually he left me alone. After our encounter, I did a little bit of research reading anything I could about Merlin and sorcery. That's when I found out about Morgana, the Morganians and Merlinians."

"You've known this whole time?" Dave exclaimed suddenly angry. _Of course she's known. _Dave growled. Rose was perfect. Rose knew everything.

"What good would have come out of telling you?" Rose countered finally walking down the steps. "You'd said yourself that Balthazar had disappeared when you were ten, and I was already almost killed once by a Morganian. There was no one I could trust with the information so I tried to forget about it. Which had been working clear up until this point so please, take this back." Tugging the ring off her finger, Rose held it out for Balthazar to take. "Please take it, take it and let me go."

"Yes of course." Balthazar said reluctantly taking the ring from her. Turning his free hand over Balthazar unlocked the door and flung it open using magic.

"Thank you." Rose said taking to the stairs again. "Call me later Dave, we'll go out for dinner." She promised before exiting the lab.


	7. Chapter 7

"Dude!" Dave exclaimed as he watched Balthazar unceremoniously scarf down a sandwich. The two were sitting a bench across the street from Becky's radio station eating dinner. Dave had decided to ignore his sister's invitation as pay back for keeping her knowledge secret the past few years.

"Beg your pardon." Balthazar said wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I haven't eaten in ten years."

"Yeah, yeah fair enough." Dave said understandingly.

"You mind if I ask what's so special about this bench?" Balthazar asked between bites. There was no need for David to explain. The sorcerer noticed that the second a blonde girl stepped out into the sidewalk, his apprentice's eyes began to follow her.

"no, no no." Balthazar said firmly.

"What?" Dave said look back at him.

"There's no time for that and too much at stake." Balthazar explained.

"That girl," Dave said pointing at Becky, "She's the one man." Dave sighed. "And you're my mentor Balthazar. Aren't you suppose to help me to achieve my personal goals?"

"Yes!" Balthazar said with feigned agreement. "Except I'm not your mentor, I'm your master. And your master says if Horvath catches you out on the street you'll die. Is she worth that? Think about it Dave." Dave looked at Balthazar for a moment before deciding.

"Don't eat my sandwich." He said quickly before launching himself off the bench to chase after Becky. "Becky! What a coincidence." _Typical teenager. _Balthazar grumbled to himself as he watched Dave walk off. The sorcerer shrugged and unwrapped Dave's sandwich. He was halfway through his apprentice's sandwich when someone called his name.

"Balthazar?" Rose questioned crossing the street.

"Good evening Rose." Balthazar said wiping his mouth on his sleeve again and tossing the remainder of Dave's sandwich in a nearby trashcan.

"Dave never called me about dinner." Rose sighed, sitting down next to the sorcerer. "I went by his apartment, and his roommate, Bennet, said he might be at the radio station with a girl he likes."

"So you thought you'd stop by." Balthazar nodded with understanding.

"Yup." Rose sighed again. "He's gone with her already isn't he?" she stood and started to leave.

"Rose!" Balthazar hollered after her. She glanced back at him from across the street. "Would you like to get some dinner?" He asked once he'd crossed the street. "I haven't eaten in ten years, and since Dave cancelled your plans I thought maybe..."

"No, I mean yeah. Yes. Yes I would love to get something to eat." The girl stammered reminding Balthazar of her younger brother.

* * *

"Do you think I did the right thing? Not telling Dave what I knew?" Rose asked Balthazar over their dinner at a nearby Olive Garden.

"I think you did what you thought Dave could handle." Balthazar answered cryptically.

"I mean as far as I knew, you'd disappeared. If I'd known you'd come back to mentor Dave in a few years, I'd have told him everything. I just wanted to keep him safe. He's smart when it comes to all that physics stuff, but reading people? It's all lost on Dave." Rose said biting a piece of her chicken parmesan off her fork.

"Perhaps you could make it up to him." Balthazar suggested, taking measured bites of his own pasta.

"How? He's obviously still pretty pissed."

"Talk to him."

"You don't know Dave." Rose snorted. "No one can talk to Dave when he's mad. Once he's made up his mind about something, it's pretty hard to change."

"He said something similar about you." Balthazar chuckled.

"Like brother like sister I guess." Rose shrugged. "Us Stutler's are a difficult bunch aren't we? You should be glad you only have to teach sorcery to one of us."

"I suppose there will be no changing your mind on that?" Balthazar inquired.

"It's an overwhelming thing to put on someone the first time you meet them you know." Rose stated sipping from her soda.

"Dave did have time to get used to the idea." Balthazar agreed.

"If I'd known he was the Prime-Merlinian I would've told him what I'd known. Maybe he'd be more prepared now if I'd told him." Smiling Rose continued, "Or maybe he'd be just as squirrely and nervous as he is now. In all seriousness, I worry about him."

"I can't guarantee his safety." Balthazar told her. "You know that, but maybe if we had some help."

"What about two's company, three's a crowd?"

"An outdated phrase in my opinion." Balthazar scoffed as the waitress brought their check around.

"How much do I owe?" Rose questioned reaching for her purse.

"Please, allow me." Balthazar waved her off, producing a wallet from inside his jacket.

"I thought you were trapped in an urn for ten years, how'd you get money?" She asked.

"I was trapped, not robbed." Balthazar snarled pulling bills from his ancient wallet.

"I'm surprised moths didn't fly out of that thing." Rose laughed as they exited the restaurant.

"Have some respect, that 'thing' is older than you are." He joked. Despite herself, Rose had to admit Balthazar had a nice smile.

"So that ring of yours," Rose said as they walked down the street. "You said you've had it for a long time, I suppose it would take you even longer to find someone else that it fit."

"A lot of magic is required to produce a sorcerer's ring. Each ring has a distinct subconscious. Once a ring has chosen a sorcerer, or in this case sorceress, it can't be given to anyone else. In order for me to give that ring to someone else you'd have to die."

"That's morbid." Rose frowned. "So...if it chose me, I pretty much have no choice."

"You still have a choice." Balthazar insisted. Rose stopped walking and closed her eyes.

"I'll do it." She agreed.

"Are you sure?" Balthazar asked slowly.

"Yes." Rose opened her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

"I suppose I'll stay up at a hotel tonight." Rose said to Balthazar as she slipped the purple sapphire ring back on her finger. "I've just got to stop by Dave's lab and pick up my suitcase." Digging into her purse Rose produced her phone to call Dave. "Dam, phone's dead." she growled, throwing her phone back into her bag.

"I'll go with you, I can unlock the lab door. "

"Okay let's go." It was only a short walk from where they were to Dave's lab. Upon nearing the lab the two realized they wouldn't need Balthazar's magic to unlock the door as Dave was there working.

"Balthazar!" Dave greeted the sorcerer cheerily. "Oh and you brought Rose with you." A disappointing tone replaced his cheery one upon the sight of his sister.

"Don't worry Dave, I'm not staying." Rose assured him, holding up her right hand to stop him from whatever he was about to lecture.

"Wait are you wearing the ring?" Dave hollered as his sister walked away. "Is she wearing the ring?" He turned to Balthazar when his sister ignored him. "No no no, you cannot drop something like this on me and then just walk out!"

"Perhaps Dave's right," Balthazar jumped in from the top of the staircase. "the two of you should talk about this."

"And we will." Rose promised coming up the stairs. "Tomorrow once I've had a good night's rest. As for right now, I'm tiered and it has been a long day. Balthazar, thank you for dinner, it was lovely. David, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait dinner?" Dave exclaimed as his sister swung the door open. "You went to dinner together?"

"Good night David." Rose said exiting the lab and securing the door behind her.

"You went to dinner with my sister? I'm sorry you have to suffer through that." Dave laughed.

"Don't be. You're sister's quite the gal."

"No, not you too!" Dave groaned. "Just once I'd like to meet someone who doesn't adore my sister."

"She love you, you know." Balthazar explained, joining Dave at the base of the stairs.

"I'm sure she does in her own way." Dave shrugged. "It's hard to love her back sometimes. The way she commands everyone's attention anytime she walks into the room. She doesn't even realize the impact she leaves on people."

"I agree. She's left quite an impact on me already." Balthazar chuckled.

"Gross." Dave grimaced. "There's what, a hundred years age difference between the two of you? She was born _centuries _after you."

"David, when you're as old as I am, _everyone_ is centuries younger than you."

"Great point." Dave agree reluctantly. "But she's my sister man!" He whined.

"Perhaps we should table the subject." Balthazar suggested.

"Yes perhaps." Dave snapped. "I'm going home. There's a couch over there if you need a place to crash. I'll be back tomorrow after my eight AM class."

* * *

"Dave? Balthazar?" A soft voice spoke between knocks on the lab door. Sitting up, but not moving from the couch, Balthazar unlocked the door. Bouncing down the stairs Rose offered Balthazar a coffee and joined him on the couch.

"Where's Dave?" She asked sipping from a hot chocolate.

"He has a class." Balthazar explained.

"Oh right. I suppose I've just woken you then? I should go." She stood to leave.

"Rose, stay please." Turning back Rose gave the sorcerer a strange look, causing Balthazar to clarify. "It's safer for you here."

"We went out last night." Rose shrugged.

"Yes but I was with you." Balthazar pointed out. "It's especially dangerous now that you've chosen to wear the ring. Horvath with recognize it."

"So the friend of yours, the one that the ring belonged to, she was his friend to? And she died." Rose realized. "I'm sorry." Balthazar opened his mouth to reply when Dave came bursting in.

"You're both still here!" He shrieked with disappointment. "I was hoping that was all a dream last night."

"Sorry to disappoint." Rose snarled.

"Now now play nice children." Balthazar reprimanded as he stretched from the couch. Rising to his feet, the sorcerer continued, "Now before we can put Horvath back inside the Grimhold, we must first turn you two into Sorcerers. Step back." He instructed Rose. She nodded and back up several feet. Once he was certain Rose was a safe distance away, Balthazar closed his eye and lifted his arms. Green flames erupted from the floor. Opening his eyes Balthazar used his hands to guide the flames and burn markings into the cobbled floor of the lab. Dave came racing down the stairs for a closer look. When the sorcerer was done he turned to Rose and Dave.

"This, is the Merlin Circle. It focuses your energy, helps your master new spells. It is where you will learn the art. Step inside and you leave everything else behind. Once you enter, there is no going back." Rose glanced sideways at her brother before stepping into the circle, joining Balthazar at the center.

"So I should probably pee first? Better safe than..." Dave chuckled. Balthazar glared at him. "I can hold it." Her gulped stepping over the flames.

"I am Balthazar Blake sorcerer of the 777th degree and you, David and Rose Stutler, are my apprentices." Rose couldn't help but notice her brother was beaming at her side. "As I'm sure you're aware, your ring is not a piece of jewelry. It projects the electrical energy of your nervous system into the physical world. Without his ring a sorcerer is powerless." Balthazar explained stepping out of the circle. "The only other thing a sorcerer needs is a nice pair of pointy shoes." Balthazar said chucking a pair of pointy dress shoes in Dave's direction. "Plus it helps to look classy."

"These are old man shoes." Dave whined.

"Excuse me?" Balthazar said indicating his own similarly styled shoes.

"I love them!" Dave sighed. "Why doesn't she have to change shoes?" Dave complained as he laced his "Old man" shoes. His sister laughed.

"If you knew anything about shoes, you'd know that mine are genuine Leather heels. No rubber soles." Flashing Dave the side of her shoe, Rose pointed to the bottom of her foot.

"How convenient." Dave grumbled to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: To whomever the wonderful guest (or guests) who've been reviewing this story, I adore you! I am so glad that there are people who've been enjoying my tale of Rose, Balthazar and Dave. Please continue reading and reviewing!**

"You're Ingenuity and your heart, will give you an advantage over the Morganians." Balthazar explained as he paced around the Merlin's Circle, A plasma ball in his hand. "They rely only on the power of their magic but if you're up against the wall there's only one weapon of choice, the plasma bolt." Balthazar released the bolt he was holding, it flew forward several feet and incinerated some paper work on Dave's desk. Dave and Rose spent the next several hours trying to cast their own plasma bolts. Cupping their hands one atop the other, just as Balthazar had done, both Stutlers tried to imagine a plasma bolt into creation.

"I got it! I got one!" Dave proclaimed only to have his miniscule bolt fade out seconds later. "That's underwhelming. He complained. Dave produced a second and a third unsuccessful bolt, each time Balthazar's nagging voice repeating the same thing."

"Again." He would say firmly. Rose was growing increasingly frustrated, at least Dave was making progress. Maybe it was the shoes. "Davy give me your shoes!" She commanded.

"What? No way, Balthazar says I need them. Ask him for your own old man shoes." Dave said producing another failed bolt.

"You can use mine Rose." Balthazar insisted toeing off his shoes and tossing them to the girl.

"You can use my shoes Rosy." Dave mocked.

"What's wrong with your Tesla coil?" Balthazar grinned. "It seems to be firing on its own." Balthazar snapped his fingers and one of Dave's Tesla coils fired a plasma charge in his direction.

"Very funny." Dave snapped scrambling up from the floor.

"This will be hilarious then." Balthazar snapped his fingers, zapping Dave again.

"Let's move on to something else." Balthazar insisted after more practice with the plasma bolt. Rose, who'd remained unsuccessful even with the help of Balthazar's shoes, was now standing on the stone floor barefoot. Dave was grinning despite his failure. He was glad to have found something that came more naturally to him than Rose. "The best way to defend against fire is a vacuum sphere. Your turn." Balthazar tossed a fire ball at Dave. Surprising all of them, Dave captured the flame in a vacuum ball exactly as Balthazar instructed. His celebration was short lived as there was a knock on the door.

"Expecting someone?" Balthazar asked powering down the Merlin's Circle making the flames disappear.

"The only ones who know about this place besides you two are Bennet and Becky. Must be one of them." Dave shrugged. Rose and Balthazar could tell Dave was hoping it was the later, as he sprung towards the door two steps at a time.

"Becky, hi!" Dave smiled as he swung the door open.

"Hi!" Becky smiled at the sight of Dave.

"We should go." Dave said trying to usher her out the door. "A library, coffee shop, anyplace."

"Dave? Is that company I hear?" Balthazar hollered with a wink at Rose. "I thought you were staying in with Rose and I." Balthazar said as he joined Dave and Becky at the top of the stairs.

"Becky this is my...Uncle. Uncle Balthazar." Dave mumbled.

"If this is a bad time I can come back later." Becky frowned.

"No!" Dave replied quickly before turning to his "Uncle". "No, Uncle you, Rose and I have plans for later on. Becky let's get out of here."

"Dave wait." Rose said stopping two steps short of the top of the stairwell. "It's Becky right? I remember you." Rose said pointing to the blonde. "Dave had this _huge_ crush on you when he was in the sixth grade. I'm Dave's sister Rose, I had chemistry with your older brother Charlie."

"Small world." Becky nodded.

"Oh kay, now we're really going." Dave insisted.

"No please, you two stay. I'm going stir-crazy in here anyway." Rose claimed, slipping past Dave, Becky and Balthazar.

"She shouldn't be left alone. Young girl, big city." Balthazar explained making his way out the door too.

"Well that was weird." Dave said trying to shake the whole thing from his mind. He especially didn't want to remember the fact that his sister and the thousand year old sorcerer were probably out on another not-date. "Before we start studying there's something I want to show you. I think you'd better step into my cage."

"Okay that's definitely the first time anyone has said that to me." Becky laughed as she stepped inside the cadge Dave used to operate his Tesla coils.

"Just hold on to this bar please, both hands yup." Dave instructed as he squished into the cage with Becky. "Okay, hold on tight and enjoy the show." Dave whispered tapping a few keys on his computer. Like magic, the frequencies from the Tesla coils hitting the control cage created a familiar sound.

"Is that _Superstition_?" Becky asked impressed. "How is that possible?"

"The coils are firing at such a high frequency that the sparks literally create sound waves as they fly through the air. Which is...nerdy." Dave said tapping on his computer keys once more. This time the coils produced sound waves to the tune of _Secrets _by One Republic.

"You were listening! I played this song the other night." Becky said with astonishment.

"These coils are my life." Dave admitted. "Two years I'm down here working with them, and they're making their own music and it was lost on me. I was never able to appreciate it until I met you and heard you talking about music on your radio show and...I'm sappy."


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm assuming you have a reason for dragging me out here?" Balthazar complained as he followed Rose down the street.

"I didn't drag you out here!" Rose scoffed. "You followed me when you decided it was 'too dangerous' for me to be out here alone."

"Which I told you this morning, so you knew I'd never let you go out by yourself." Balthazar countered.

"So maybe I planned it a little." Rose admitted. "I want to try magic outside." Rose explained spreading her arms out wide, gesturing to the fresh air.

"Absolutely not." Balthazar replied immediately.

"But I..." Rose frowned.

"This is not up for discussion Rose."

"Please? I think it would really help!" She insisted.

"It's too dangerous." Balthazar stated resolutely.

"But I'll be with _you_." Rose said reminding him of their discussion this morning again.

"Rose, I can't guarantee your safety. Even without drawing attention to yourself, It would be difficult to protect you."

"If I could lean all this magic stuff, I wouldn't need you to protect me!"

"You're never going to learn if you get captured by Morganians!" Balthazar exclaimed.

"Why are you being so difficult?" Rose snarled.

"Life is difficult _Princess._" Balthazar countered.

"Oh cute. I'm a princess because I'm pretty. Ha ha I've _never _heard that one before." Rose snapped. Seething, Rose began flexing her hands trying incredibly hard not to punch the old man. A come back on the tip of her tongue, Rose stopped when she spotted flame balls growing in her palms. "I did it!" She said with a broad smile, bouncing up and down with excitement. Her celebration was interrupted when Accidental magic of an apprentice was no match for the experienced sorcerer. Balthazar effortlessly captured the two fireballs in a vacuum sphere and banished them. "Balthazar, I'm so sorry." Rose whimpered covering her mouth.

"It's alright Rose it was an accident." Balthazar tried to sooth her. "Amazingly no one even seemed to noticed." Balthazar said looking around. The street wasn't particularly busy for New York City, but there were still plenty of people passing Rose and Balthazar on the street.

"It's New York," Rose shrugged "People don't see much of what happens outside their life. The few who did notice probably just thought it was street magic. Are you sure I didn't hurt you?"

"Yes." Balthazar chuckled. "I'm sorry I had to upset you like that Rosy, but I was trying to teach you something."

"That whining isn't going to get me what I want?" Rosy said crossing her arms.

"No, you magic is influenced by your emotions." Balthazar explained.

"I've been being an ass haven't I?" Rose sighed.

"You've had a lot on your mind." Balthazar excused. "What do you say we take a walk to Central Park, we can do some..._street magic._"

"I promise not to light you on fire again." Rose giggled.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Miss Stutler." Balthazar chuckled. He and Rose were glad to find a corner of Central Park that was nearly uninhabited at that time of night. "Let's start with the plasma bolt again."

"Um okay." Rose said kicking her shoe off and spreading her feet apart. Holding her hands away from her face, Rose concentrated hard on conjuring a plasma bolt. Balthazar watched as Rose's brows furrowed in frustration.

"you're trying too hard." Balthazar instructed, stepping closer. "You'll never be able to conjure anything with your muscles so tight." Reaching forward Balthazar took each of Rose's hands in one of his own. "Lay the back of your hands against my palms." Rose did as she told, the soft texture of Balthazar's leather fingerless gloves against her skin. "Good. Now relax your finger tips, curling them in ever so slightly." Balthazar moved his palms gently to contour Rose's finger tips just right. "Okay, now close your eyes, and feel the plasma energy forming in your hands." Closing her eyes, Rose took a slow measured breath, and tried to materialize the plasma like she'd done with the fireball. "Open your eyes Rose." Rose's eyes flashed open.

"Am I doing this? Am I really doing this? Or...is it you?" She looked up at Balthazar, her eyes softly accusing.

"I'm not even touching you." Balthazar held up his hands, palms out.

"Epic." Rose exhaled, pulling her hands apart in an attempt to enlarge the bolt.

"Toss it here." Balthazar commanded. Rose obliged tossing the bolt to Balthazar. "Now catch." The sorcerer ordered throwing the ball back to Rose the second he caught hit. Surprising herself for the third time that night Rose caught the bolt smoothly.

"Did you see that?" Rose said releasing the bolt accidentally. The bolt went flying off, collided with a tree and burned out. "Oops." Rose said nervously biting her lip.

"We've got to work on your releasing technique, but definitely an improvement." Balthazar assured her.

" Couldn't have done it without your help." Rose smiled. "Thank you for teaching me how to do that." Rose thanked Balthazar as the two left the park.

"It's what a master is suppose to do." Balthazar shrugged.

"Right, of course."Rose replied seeming suddenly downcast. "Let's head back to Dave's." Rose said walking faster.

* * *

"Wait there's a note." Rose stopped Balthazar before he unlocked the door. "_Dear Rose and Uncle Balthazar, Becky and I will be up late studying. Please do not disturb. - Dave. _Studying my butt." Rose growled as she crumpled the note and tossed it to the ground. "I'm going back to my hotel. That is with your permission, _Master._" Rose said stalking off.

"Have I done something to offend you Rose?" Balthazar asked chasing after her.

"Not at all _Master_." Rose quipped as she continued to stalk off.

"It's strange because you're saying no, but you're putting a strange infliction on you word Master, that I've noticed you're now inserting at the end of all your sentences."

"What reason would I have to be upset, _Master_." Rose asked walking backwards through the streets so she could face Balthazar.

"There's that strange infliction again." Balthazar said wagging a finger at her.

"Yeah well..." Walking backwards has its consequences. Rose learned this the hard way as she backed into a newspaper dispenser and nearly toppled to the ground. With lightning-fast reflexes, Balthazar reached out and caught his female apprentice.

"I'd thank you for catching me," Rose said as Balthazar set her on her feet. "But I suppose you'd just tell me that's what a _Master_ does."

"This is about what I said at the park?" Balthazar scoffed.

"Look I know you were trapped in a glorified pot for a decade, so maybe no one's explained this to you." Rose rounded on him. "In today's day and age, terms like 'princess' and 'master' are words used by misogynists to put women down." Rose crossed her eyes and glared at Balthazar.

"Rose," Balthazar said her name softly. "I wasn't trying to be misogynistic. Master is a traditional term used by someone who's perfected the craft of sorcery. It's a sign of respect for the person who's earned it. It is not meant to be a derogatory term apprentices. A Sorcerer's apprentice is their future." Balthazar explained. "I have nothing but respect for you Rose Stutler." Before thinking about the consequences of her actions, Rose leaned forward and touched her soft lips to Balthazar's. The kiss didn't last, Rose pulled away the second she realized what she'd done. Gasping, Rose immediately began to apologize.

"Balthazar I am so sor..." She was cut off as Balthazar pulled her in for another kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

"My apologies Rose, that was out of line." Balthazar apologized as he and Rose pulled apart.

"No really, it's alright." Rose promised, placing her hands on the crooks of Balthazar's arms to steady herself.

"No it's not alright." Balthazar declared firmly. "I'm supposed to be your...mentor." The use of the term master felt inappropriate for the current discussion."I'm supposed to be teaching you, guiding you. I am not suppose to distract you."

"What? You're not distracting me." Rose shook her head and let go of his arms. "I was only able to cast fire when I was made at you! I could only make the plasma bolt with your help!"

"You need to learn magic without the use of emotional attachment. It's better this way."

"You're not even making sense Balthazar! You told Dave and I this morning that using emotions in our magic is what set Merlinians apart from Morganians!"

"Would you like me to walk you back to your hotel?" Balthazar asked flatly. Though normally he'd commend an apprentice for listening to his ramblings, Balthazar felt this time it would be best not to acknowledge his apprentice's wise assessment.

"No, thank you. I wouldn't want to developed an emotional attachment." Rose spat before marching off. He'd never admit this to her or David, even years later, but Balthazar followed Rose in secret that night, making sure she'd safely reached the hotel before wondering into the night.

* * *

"This is me." Becky said gesturing with her thumb to a classroom she and Dave were about to pass by. It was the morning after Dave had shown Becky his "Tesla coil songs" as she'd called them and he was now walking her to Yoga class.

"So did you want to meet up later? Eight o'clock, my lab?" Dave invited before she ducked into the classroom.

"Yeah, that would be great." Becky smiled.

"With me?" He double checked.

"With you? Yes." Becky laughed before entering the classroom.

"I got a date with a girl 'cause I'm awesome." Dave sang to himself as he washing his hands in athletic facility bathroom moments later.

"So you're the one." A flamboyantly dressed dude with guy-liner questioned.

"Excuse me?" Dave turned off the water and dried his hands on his pants.

"Prime Merlinian eh? You don't like much." The guy shrugged before leaning on a hands dryer.

"I don't actually know what you're talking about." Dave denied.

"Cool, makes this easy." The guy smiled before kicking his feet across the tile floor. This caused all the hand dryers to turn on simultaneously. "Can't have anyone hearing your girly cries, right?"

"I don't actually know who you are." Dave confessed, though he did have a sneaking suspicion that this creep was the same one who'd chased down his sister a few years ago.

"Really? You don't recognize me?" Drake Stone said with surprise.

"Are you in Depeche Mode?" Dave blurted out the first pop culture reference he could think of. Drake Grabbed Dave by his shirt collars, slammed him against the wall, and held him up by one hand.

"What do you weigh? Like a buck twenty?" Stone let go of Dave, leaving him fixed to the wall.

"Whoa what the f...this is high school all over again." Dave sighed. Stone snapped his fingers and Dave fell face first on the ground.

"All right I tell you what," Drake said as Dave scrambled to his feet. "Hit me with your best shot, your most powerful spell."

"Okay." Dave said concentrating incredibly hard to produce a plasma bolt. He was successful, producing a much smaller plasma bolt than the one he'd seen Balthazar create the day before. Regardless it was the best that Dave was going to get, so released it straight for Drake Stone's heart.

"Ow!" Drake exclaimed but he was only faking and began to laugh. "No, I'm joking. Have you cleared your mind?"

"Yeah I'm pretty sure." Dave nodded.

"That's the nerves and it's the pressure."

"I got...nothing happening. I'm new at this!...The ring is on..." Dave mumbled trying to go through Balthazar's instructions in his head.

"Take the ring off."

"Take the ring off?"

"Take it off."

"Enough you idiot." Horvath commanded as he entered the bathroom. "Watch the door." Stone did as he was told leaving to guard the door. Knowing he couldn't possibly produce magic strong enough to take on Horvath, Dave made a run for it. It was a frivolous attempt as Horvath used his magic cane to drag Dave back.

"Hello David."

"Hi." Dave said sheepishly.

"So Dave...I'm going to kill you." Horvath confessed. "Oh yes, right here in this dismal bathroom. It's not very classy, but there you go. But before we get to that unpleasantness, you're going to tell me where the Grimhold is. Where is she?"

"She?" How could Horvath possibly know about his sister? Sure she'd been wearing her ring around town with Balthazar, but if Horvath had known about that he wouldn't be bothering with Dave.

"He hasn't told you has he?" Horvath wasn't surprised , Balthazar was always one to look out for himself above all others. "The truth about who's inside the doll? Sweetheart you've put your faith in the wrong man." Dave didn't say anything, hoping Horvath would give him a clues as to what the hell he was talking about. "Tell me, have you ever been in love? You're in love right now, I can see it in your eyes. I wonder what would happen if you lost her. You'd be no better than the rest of us. Where is the Grimhold?"

"I don't know." Dave said with the distinct feeling this was going to become his catchphrase.

"Oh Dave," Horvath chuckled. "You really are the most dreadful liar."

"That's what I keep telling him." Balthazar said from the bathroom doorway. "Want your guy back?" He asked flicking his wrist and sending Drake Stone flying. Horvath lunched for Balthazar and the two engaged in brief hand to hand combat as Balthazar tried to force Horvath into a nearby mirror.

"It's been a while since I've seen the Hungarian Mirror Trap!" Horvath admitted before in turn trying to trap Balthazar in the mirror.

"I guess I'm just old-fashioned. Balthazar freed himself from Horvath's grasp.

"Balthazar look out!" Dave exclaimed as Drake Stone came too. Effortlessly moving out of the way Balthazar dodged Stone's impending spell, which instead trapped Horvath in the mirror. Balthazar cast a spell of his own, knocking stone unconscious once more.

"What are you doing here Dave?" Balthazar accused.

* * *

Horvath was trying to kill me! Dave ranted as he and Balthazar entered the lab.

"His moral compass doesn't exactly point north." Balthazar shrugged.

"Yeah well what about yours huh? You haven't been completely truthful with me! And where's Rose?" Dave asked noticing for the first time that his sister was absent. "I'm not doing anything else until you start being truthful with me about what's going on. Who is in that Grimhold?"

"Morgana." Both men whipped their heads in the direction of the doorway to find Rose standing there with an oversized text book.

"What's that?" Dave questioned as she marched down the stairs.

"An Encantus." Rose and Balthazar answered at the same time. Rose sent Balthazar a glare over her brother's shoulder before flipping through the pages of the Encantus. "While you boys were scraping with Horvath and Drake Stone, I decided to dig around the old Arcana Cabana building. That's how I found this."

"How did you know we were..." Dave asked turning to his sister. Rose flipped the book around to show Dave an illustration of Balthazar and Horvath wrestling in front of the bathroom mirror.

"The Encantus is our textbook." Balthazar explained lifting the book from Rose's hands. "The art, science and history of sorcery are all in this book." Doing her best to pretend that Balthazar wasn't there Rose continued to explain why Horvath wanted the Grimhold.

"Morgana was making preparations for 'The Rising' something that would enable her to enslave mankind by resurrecting dead Morganian sorcerers and sorceresses."

"So after the witch girl there's another doll that contains the greatest evil the world has ever known?" Dave said thinking of Abigail Williams who was painted on the current outer shell of the Grimhold.

"She's in the last doll." Rose nodded. "Before he died, Merlin had three apprentices not two." Rose was again glaring at Balthazar. "Merlin cast a spell to keep his three apprentices from aging until they found the sorcerer who inherited his power and his Dragon ring. This is your calling Dave." Rose tried to sound reassuring as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Merlin said," Balthazar recalled the words. " The only one who will ever be able to destroy Morgana once and for all is the Prime Merlinian."

"So I'm supposed to save the world." Dave voice was shaking. "I...I just don't think I'm up for that."

"Do you think I've been teaching you magic tricks for some little girl's tea party?" Balthazar set down the Encantus. "When you stepped inside that circle, I told you there was no going back! I have been searching 1,000 years for you! Fighting Morganias! Protecting the Grimhold! You have to become the Prime Merlinian and I'm not asking."

"I'm going for coffee. Dave want anything?" Rose decided as she began to climb the stairs.

"Rose I don't think you're suppose to leave!" Dave hollered up to her.

"No it's quite alright David I'm afraid if I stay here too long I'll end of developing an _emotional attachment_ to you." Again the female apprentice cast a pointed look in Balthazar's direction before storming out.

"What was that about?" Dave asked his master.

"Something I said last night." Balthazar admitted.

"You turned her down?" Dave said with disbelief.

"Like I said David, love is a distraction." Balthazar set the Encantus on Dave's desk.

"Oh man you didn't say _that_ to her did you?" Balthazar remained silent, flipping through the pages of the Encantus. "No wonder she's got you in the dog house."

"Impossible I can't be in 'in the dog house' as you put it if there was no relationship to begin with."

"Hopefully you didn't say that to her." David mumbled under his breath but Balthazar heard anyway glaring at Dave. "Soooo..." Dave dragged out uncomfortably. "How do I know when I've become the Prime Merlinian?"

"The Prime Merlinian will become so powerful within he no longer needs his ring to cast magic. When you can do that, you're ready to take on Morgana." Balthazar answered.


	12. Chapter 12

"Rose's been gone for an awful long time." Dave said concerned.

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with the fact that you're having that girl over soon?"

"What no. Think about it, she's been gone for hours." Dave pointed out.

"I suppose she could be in real danger..." Bathazar doubted it. If Rose was in danger, he'd have known about it, just like he had about Dave earlier that day. Still Balthazar suspected Rose might want to talk so he decided to leave Dave and set out for Rose's hotel. "When I come back, you better be focused." Balthazar instructed.

"Rose?" Balthazar's voice called from the other side of her hotel door. "Rose I know you're in there, I can sense it."

"Go away Balthazar." Rose shouted back.

"Rose please open the door. I want to talk." The was a pause as the tumblers in the door clicked and Rose unlocked the door but didn't open it.

"Thank you." Balthazar said softly as he let himself in.

"You could've just unlocked the door yourself." Rose snarled with crossed arms.

"But that would have been rude."

"Of course." She snorted. "I'd love to stand around and exchange false pleasantries, but I have somewhere else to pretend to be." Pushing her way past the sorcerer Rose headed for the door.

"Rose please." Balthazar pleaded catching her gently by the elbow.

"There's nothing to talk about." Rose said trying to shake his hand off. "I get it you could never love me as much as you loved her, so it's easier to just shut me out."

"Her?" Balthazar repeated letting go of Rose's elbow.

"The third apprentice, Veronica." Rose explained. "I read the history section of the Encantus. I know that she's the reason Horvath betrayed Merlin, it was because he loved her and she chose you."

"For centuries Veronica, Horvath and I were the only thing standing between Morgana and man's destruction. Our friendship and our magic were what Veronica and I depended on."

"Which is how you started to fall for her." Rose understood having experienced something similar.

"Like your brother, all Veronica wanted was to be normal. Normal things, normal life. I fell and I fell hard. And I'd be lying if I told you I didn't love her, but Veronica," Balthazar paused. "She sacrificed herself to save me...to save everyone."

"She's in the center of the Grimhold." Rose whispered not understanding how she'd missed that section of the Enchantus. "She trapped herself in Morgana's body. Balthazar we'll get her out of there. We can save her."

"Rose." Balthazar brushed his hand against her cheek. "We can't save her. When Morgana and Veronica are released from the Grimhold, Veronica's soul will have burned up."

"Oh." Rose frowned as her eyes filled with water. Balthazar decided to change the subject.

" I've lived for thousands of years and I've never wanted to protect something so much in my entire existance." He stated, his blue eyes burning into her brown ones. "I've been pushing you away because the last time I love a woman with all my soul, she died sacrificing herself for me. I never wanted you to feel obligated to make reckless choices like Veronica did. I just wanted to make you happy, and I realize now that pushing you away was only hurting you. I love you Rose Stutler."

"I love you too Balthazar Blake." Rose wept, flinging her arms around Balthazar's neck. The sorcerer held the girl's head to his chest as she cried. When the tears stopped, their lips searched for each other's finally colliding in a passionate sweet kiss.

* * *

Balthazar and Rose returned to Dave's lab hand in hand ready to put the Drama behind them and get back to work. Neither were prepared for the sight that laid before them. Some of Dave's electrical equipment had toppled, and there was at least a foot of water covering the ground. Brooms, Mops and water buckets were flying around the room. Dave was hanging by his pant leg, dangling over the electrified water.

"Davy!" Rose shrieked lunging for the stairs. Balthazar flung his arm out and caught before she could get too far.

"Stay here." He commanded. "Disperse!" He ordered the mops and buckets which became lifeless on his orders. Then with more magic he cleared away the water, and freed Dave from the Tesla coil he'd been dangling from.

"Dave!" known the danger was now gone Rose raced to her brother's side.

"You have abused the sacred art, and you have abused the Merlin Circle." Balthazar reprimanded. "Magic isn't a game. No shortcuts! Falling in that water and getting electrocuted, that's how a sorcerer loses his power!"

"What rule is that?" Dave hollered rising to his feet. "Fourteen? Twenty-seven? I can't remember! What difference does it make if it's obvious that I can't even control a few mops?"

"The stronger the man, the stronger the sorcerer." Balthazar versed.

"Thank you! Thank you for another useless motto!" Dave replied sarcastically.

"I have another one for you." Balthazar descended the stairs. "You will not control your magic if you will not control yourself."

"Back me up her?" Dave turned to his sister. "You speak ancient sorcerer, what is he talking about."

"He's saying you need to stop your worrying and start believing in yourself."

"Oh well nice to see you two are getting along so well again." Dave pouted.

"What we do isn't the point." Rose warned.

"Oh I think it is." Dave countered. "I'm convinced the two of you exist purely to make my life my life a living hell."

"You don't know anything about a living hell." Balthazar said firmly.

"You're making progress." Rose said gently.

"No. I'm not making progress." Dave counted as he removed the Dragon ring. "No ring right?" Dave then attempted to move a chair from across the room. "No magic! I can't move the chair, I can't do it! It's not me Balthazar!"Dave moved across the lab and found his rubber soled tennis shoes. "I'm sorry, but I'm not it. I'm not a hero, I'm not the Prime Merlinian." Dave tossed his leather shoes to the floor and began lacing up his familiar tennis shoes. "I'm just a physics nerd, who looks really stupid in these shoes." His old shoes in place, Dave walked out of the lab.


	13. Chapter 13

"Dave!" Rose called after her brother turning to follow him.

"It's alright Rose he just needs some space." Balthazar seemed certain. "Give him time. For now let's get his mess cleaned up." With Balthazar's watchful guidance he and Rose were able to clean up most of the mess caused by Dave. Both their heads whipped up when they heard the door to the lab open.

"You were right," Rose smiled at Balthazar as she put away the last broom. "He came back."

"Hey." Dave huffed marching down the stairs.

"Hello." Balthazar acknowledge as he brushed bits of water from the cover of the Encantus.

"I'm sorry." Dave said looking Balthazar in the eyes. "I think you and I need to have a talk."

"No apology necessary." Balthazar waved him away. "Let us move on."

"You're a diamond, mate." Dave uttered in a British accent. Before Balthazar could react the imposter had him secured to Dave's industrial fan. The fan's outer coils wrapping around the sorcerer's wrist and ankles binding him there. The imposter, who wasn't aware of Rose's presence, revealed himself to be Drake Stone. Concentrating, and knowing full well she only had one chance at a surprise attack, Rose produced a flame ball powerful enough to knock Stone off his feet. Rose herself hadn't noticed Horvath enter the lab, with a twitch of his cane Rose was trapped on the fan right next to Balthazar.

"Rose are you alright?" Balthazar groaned.

"Yeah." She winced but tried to sound reassuring.

"Surprisingly well done." Horvath commended Drake as he descended the stairs. "Now go find the Grimhold." Stone nodded and began overturning items throughout the lab. "Now, now, who's this?" Horvath said lifting Rose's chin with the tip of his cane. "Has Balthazar made a new friend?" Rose might not have been able to cast any spells but she could at least spit in the Morganean's face. Which is exactly what she did. "Why you little..."

"I don't see the Grimhold." Stone shouted from the other side of the lab.

"That's because you're using your eyes. Cleaver Balthazar! Always up to his little tricks!" Tapping his cane to the ground Horvath produced a cloud of brown smoke and began guiding it through the lab. Using this method Horvath was able to locate the silhouette of the Grimhold.

"Found it!" Stone declared lunging for the shadowy form of the Grimhold. Flicking his cane, Horvath levitated the Grimhold into his own palm.

"it's lighter than I remember." Horvath sneered.

"We once fought together, Maxim." Balthazar hissed.

"A lot's happened since those days." Horvath countered.

"This isn't about that." Balthazar breathed.

"Oh yes it is Balthazar. It's always been about that. Veronica chose you instead of me, the Great Balthazar Blake, my best friend. Well I'm going to let you watch me release Morgana. Let you watch your world crumble into nothing." At last Balthazar was able to get free of the fan. He felt guilty leaving Rose tangled up there but at least she'd be safe. With the element of surprise on his hands Balthazar was able to knock Horvath off his feet. Drake managed to knock Balthazar to the ground, giving Horvath time to toss a few throwing knives in his old friend's direction. The room's four occupants were stunned when the knives stopped short of Balthazar's chest. It was Dave who'd returned at last. Dave held his ground, fearing that if he moved he might accidentally loose the knives in Balthazar's chest. Unfortunately this left Horvath and Drake free to slip out unharmed.

"Nice catch." Balthazar smiled.

"I owed you one." Dave reminded as he helped Balthazar to his feet. Once he was standing Balthazar was able to free Rose from the fan.

"Thank you." Rose said as Balthazar caught her around the waist. Kissing Rose on the forehead, Balthazar set her on the ground. "They got the doll." She said frantically once she was certain Balthazar and Dave were both okay.

"Let's get it back!"

"What is that? A Rolls Royce? When did you even get a car?" Rose asked as Dave dragged her to the garage where he and Balthazar had stowed the vehicle a few days ago.

"It's mine." Balthazar declared, holding the car door open for her. Rose climbed in the car wedging herself between Dave and Bathazar."We picked it up from storage before you came to town. Hold on." The tires screeched as Balthazar and his apprentices chased Horvath and Drake in their own car. The Rolls Royce was temporarily stalled by a delivery truck passing by, when our heroes were able to sneak past, Horvath and Stone had disappeared in a sea of taxis.

"Use your ring and lock on the Grimhold." Balthazar instructed Dave. "Remember it moves with the ring."

"Okay, yeah. Right, Right." Dave nodded trying to clear his mind. Locking in on the Grimhold Dave tried to guide it out the window. All he was able to do was slam it around the cab of Horvath's car a bit. At least he'd managed to hit the driver in the head sending that particular taxi veering off the road. Dave, Rose and Balthazar were able to catch up but only temporarily as Horvath transformed his taxi into a sports car neither Rose nor Dave knew the name of. Balthazar in turn changed their car to an equally as speedy sports car. Weaving in and out of the busy streets of New York City the chase pursued to the Park Avenue tunnel.

"What is that? Smoke?" Rose asked pointing out the strange substance passing from the car in front of them. Luckily Balthazar didn't need his eyes to see. Concentrating on the environment around him, Balthazar was able to easily maneuver his vehicle safely out of the tunnel. Upon exiting the tunnel their car went lurching straight through a plate of glass that was being handled by a pair of constructions workers.

"Everything's backwards!" Dave exclaimed upon realizing they'd gone through the glass rather than breaking it.

"Yes, we drove through a mirror." Balthazar confirmed. "We're trapped in a reverse world. It is Horvath's payback for the bathroom mirror. No, no, we won't die." Balthazar assured his two apprentices, sensing the worried looks on their faces."As long as we get of here soon." He mumbled.

"We have to drive through our own reflection." Rose remembered reading that when Balthazar had trapped Horvath in the bathroom mirror a few days ago.

"There! In the window!" Dave pointed frantically.

"This is it." Balthazar agreed, he turned to steer into his own reflection but it exploded unexpectedly. "Horvath must be trying to stop us from the other side." After several failed attempts the trio was able to make it through a large shard before it shattered to the ground. Speeding through the right-side-right world once more, they continued to pursue Horvath and Drake.

"I've got an idea!" Dave shouted pointing his ring at Horvath's car through the windshield.

"Dave that's not going to work!" Rose warned, but Dave ignored her accidentally transforming Balthazar's car.

"A '73 Pinto? This was your idea?" Balthazar growled from behind the steering wheel.

"No! No!" Dave insisted. "My idea was to turn their car into a beater!" Their car was shoved off the road by an enormous trash truck with Drake Stone at the wheel. Dave, Rose and Balthazar sank in their seats as the arm of the truck came crashing down. The arm stopped moments before crushing them to death. Balthazar blasted his door off the car and pulled Dave and Rose to safety. Not bothering to check Dave and Rose, Balthazar followed Horvath on foot. He lost sight of his fellow sorcerer somewhere in the crowded New York City streets, but out of the corner of his eye he could've sworn he saw _her_. Reaching out Balthazar grasped the woman by the arm.

"Hey!" a middle aged blonde woman snapped as she shook free of Balthazar's grasp.

"I-I'm sorry," He stammered reminding himself of Dave. "I thought you were someone else."

"Where's Horvath?" Dave called as he and Rose's feet pitter pattered towards their favorite sorcerer. "Did he get away? Where's the Grimhold? Who was that?"

"That was _her_." Rose breathed. "The third apprentice." She reached out and brushed a strand of Balthazar's shoulder-length hair out of his eyes. "Balthazar." She whispered him name. An unspoken question laced through his name.

"I know it can't be her." He whispered back wrapping her into his chest.


	14. Chapter 14

"You've been carrying her around with you for a thousand years in the Grimhold." Dave repeated. He was sitting with his sister and his master on the couch with the Encantus between them. Balthazar and Rose had just finished explaining to him what happened between Merlin's three apprentices all those years ago.

"I was going to give this to her that night." Balthazar said absentmindedly removing a necklace from his jacket. Rose reached out for his free hand, and rested her head on the sorcerer's shoulder.

"Okay you two." Dave jumped to his feet. "We are going to destroy Morgana."

"What's happened to you?" Balthazar asked tucking the necklace back inside his jacket.

"Nothing." Dave shrugged.

"You're still a bad liar." Balthazar smiled.

"Why does everyone always..."

"You know I'm glad she likes you." Balthazar jumped in, suddenly realizing Becky must have been what caused Dave to change his mind. "No, not surprised. Only glad." Balthazar assured the worried apprentice. "There's nothing like it is there?" The sorcerer asked squeezing Rose's hand gently. The two men shared a meaningful glance before Balthazar folded closed the Encantus and rose to his feet. "Put your old man shoes back on. We have some work to do."

The trio was once again crammed into Balthazar's Rolls Royce. This time preparing for their final chance to stop Horvath and Morgana.

"All right, when Morgana is released, _no matter what happens,_ promise me you'll do whatever it takes to destroy her."

"I promise." Dave answered right away, very seriously.

"Rose?" Balthazar looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah I promise." She agreed reluctantly. Uncomfortable, Rose glanced around the car he eyes stopping at Dave's feet. "For the record, Dave, you wear the old man shoes very well."

"My feet disagree with you but thank you." Dave smiled over at his sister who seldom approved of his clothes.

"Everyone ready?" Balthazar asked stepping out of the car. Rose and Dave followed their Master as he unlocked the main door to Drake Stone's apartment.

"That's horrifying." Rose squeaked at the sight of a grotesque painting of Stone wrestling a panther.

"Let's just find the Grimhold and be done with it." Dave hissed. The three split up figuring it would be easier to find the Grimhold that way. Balthazar followed the main entrance way to Drake Stone's office where a collection of maps and notes were scattered across the desk.

"Battery Park." He whispered reading from one of the maps. "The Rising." But his feet had begun to stick to the floor. With one glance down Balthazar understood. "Persian quickrug. and he thinks _I'm_ old- fashioned." The sorcerer struggled to free himself from the rug.

* * *

"My god, Henry VIII had less dead stuff hanging around." Rose groaned as she crept through the house and into the dining room lined with dead animal trophies.

"Well, well, well, what 'ave we here?" Rose rolled her eyes, turning to face Drake Stone. "Did you think we'd just let you walk in and take the Grimhold?"

"I'd kind of hoped yeah." Rose tried channeling her inner David. With a snap of her fingers Rose swept the rug out from under Stone causing him to fall on his behind.

"Oi that wasn't very nice!" Stone said scrambling to his feet. Before Rose could cast another spell Stone had her trapped in a body binding spell. "Well that was easy wasn't it?" Unable to move, Rose was forced to helplessly watch as Stone slipped Veronica's ring off her finger. "It's been Magical." He winked. Leaving her trapped on the floor.

* * *

"Excellent." Horvath congratulated when Stone presented him with Veronica's ring. "Have you heard of the Parasite Spell?" Horvath asked slipping the ring on to his cane, the younger man shook his head. "Sorry I forgot your education's somewhat lacking. Well, the Parasite Spell is a rather nasty piece of business. It originated in Haiti if memory serves. It enables one sorcerer to steal the energy from another." Tapping his cane to Stone's neck, Horvath casts the Parasite Spell causing Stone to collapse. "Well you weren't really using it were you?" Horvath cackled. Stepping over Drake's body, Horvath could sense Dave in the sitting room.

"Ostentatious." Dave mumbled as he took in the overbearing sight of Stone's sitting room. "So that's Morganga." He thought out loud as he picked up the Grimhold from where it sat in front of the fire place. Grimhold in hand Dave started searching for Rose and Balthazar.

"That was easy." Horvath smirked from the hallway. Dave's heart sank as he turned around to find Becky struggling against Horvath's grip. "Come on Dave, you know the drill. Give me what I want and I'll let her go."

"Dave...what is...going on?" Becky asked fighting to break free.

"It's going to be okay." Dave assured her. "You're gonna be okay."

"No she's not! She's going to be ground up into chunks and fed to the cat unless you give me Merlin's ring and the Grimhold." _That's your cue for an epic rescue. _Dave though searching around for Balthazar or even his sister. "Balthazar?" Horvath guessed Dave's thoughts. "He's busy admiring the decor. As for your sister? Well she'll be on ice for some time. So what's it going to be?"

"Here." Dave sighed handing over his ring and the Grimhold. Once both the ring and Grimhold were in his possession, Horvath released Becky and left the apartment.

"You okay?" Dave asked holding Becky to his chest. Becky didn't answer she just clung to Dave, breathing in his familiar scent.

"The Grimhold?" Balthazar panted, entering the hall now that he had finally freed himself from the Persian Quickrug. Dave didn't say anything. He tore his eyes from Becky for a second to look up at Balthazar, his face explained everything. "I see."

"He was going to kill Becky." Dave explained hold her tighter. "I'm so sorry Balthazar."

"I would have done the same thing, Dave." Balthazar verified. "Speaking of which, where is Rose?"

"Rose!" Dave exclaimed. Dave had been so preoccupied with protecting Becky, he'd forgotten all about his sister. Dave, Becky and Balthazar searched the apartment staying together on Dave's insistence.

"Wait I see her shoe!" Becky exclaimed when the trio entered the dining hall. "What's happened to her?"

"It's alright Becky." Balthazar insisted. He bent down and touched Rose's face, at the same time Balthazar reversed the curse Stone had put on her.

"Balthazar." Rose spoke dreamily. "Where's the Grimhold? Did we get..." The sorcerer shook his head. "Oh." Rose bit her lip. "And I suppose he got your rings too?"

"Just...mine." Dave replied sheepishly.


	15. Chapter 15

"Where are you going?" Dave questioned as he, Becky and Rose followed Balthazar out to the roof of Stone's building.

"Battery Park." Balthazar responded not breaking his stride. "Horvath's going to release Morgana."

"You-you can't take him and Morgan on at the same time! That's..." Dave insisted.

"You literally can't!" Rose exclaimed.

"I have to try." Balthazar said calmly facing the others now.

"Well then we'll go with you." Rose stepped forward.

"Without any magic? Balthazar raised an eyebrow. "He has your rings. No, I'm going alone." Becky uttered a concerned noise as Balthazar stood on the edge the roof.

"That's a normal thing for him." Dave soothed her as Balthazar leapt from the roof. Rose's heart jump from her chest for a second, before Balthazar soared upwards, riding the back of a Chrysler Building eagle.

"That guy just flew away on an eagle! A steel eagle!" Becky shrieked. _Help me out here!_ Dave thought casting a pleading look in his sister's direction. She just held up her hands letting Dave know he was on his own with this one.

"Becky," Dave exhaled her name. "I wanted to talk to you about this...I just haven't known where to start. I'm just happy you're okay."

"Look Dave," Becky looked up at him. "If you can just tell me the truth...then I promise I will do my best to understand." Knowing her presence was an intrusion on a tender moment, Rose turned away from the couple. She instead turned her attention to the skies trying to spot Balthazar and his eagle.

"Okay." Dave nodded. "The ah...the first thing you should know about is...is that...that I'm a sorcerer."

"Okay." Becky nodded slowly.

"I can conjure and shoot plasma bolts out of my hand." Dave continued. "I can speed time up...slow it down...varying degrees of levitation. It's all very...magical."

"And I thought my last boyfriend was different 'cause he wore a scarf." Becky laughed Leaning in for a kiss.

"Dave!" Rose turned suddenly causing Becky and Dave to jump. "Sorry." She apologized "I didn't realize you were about to...carry on." She turned back to face the city. Dave and Becky returned to their previous positions sharing a brief kiss.

"What were you going to say?" Dave asked his sister once he and Becky separated.

"I think I know how to defeat them, without magic." Rose said turning back to them again.

"H-How?" Dave was stunned.

"The rings on Horvath's cane." She explained. "He put them there to gain more power, but they make him..."

"A better conductor!" Dave nodded now understanding. "We have to get back to the lab!" Running as fast as they could Dave, Becky and Rose squished back into the Rolls Royce. "Becky!" Dave cried as if he just remembered she was there. "You can't come with us!"

"What? Why not?" She asked not getting out of the car.

"Basically Morgana is trying to destroy the world as we know it." Dave explained. "Many evil sorcerers will be raised from the dead tonight."

"Oh, just that." Becky said sarcastically.

"This is really dangerous." Rose insisted. "We can't bring you into it."

"We, I think I'm already into it." Becky pointed out. "And besides, if you blow it, we're all gonna die anyway right? I want to come with you."

"You're sexy." Dave grinned as he put the car in gear and piloted the car towards the lab.

* * *

"I got all the Tesla coil remotes!" Rose called as she carried a box out to the car where Dave was mounting a coil to the front of Balthazar's car.

"Thank you." Dave said lifting the box from her hands. "I think we've got everything. Can you go find Becky and tell her we're ready to go?"

"Sure." Rose returned to the lab and found Becky staring at something on Dave's desk. "Becky?"

"Oh Rose!" Becky breathed spinning around to face her. "Sorry, this whole thing is making me a little jumpy."

"I understand. Dave wanted me to tell you we've got everything we need so..."

"Oh yeah right." Becky nodded. "Say um Rose..."

"Yeah?"

"It's probably none of my business but there's a necklace here and a note." Picking up the necklace Becky handed it to Rose with the attached note.

"Dave, please make sure this gets to Rose. Balthazar." Looking away from the note, Rose realized it was the necklace Balthazar had once intended for Veronica. "DAVE!" Rose shouted frantically as she and Becky returned the street.

"What? What happened?" Dave glanced frantically between his sister and girlfriend.

"I don't think Balthazar's planning on coming back." Rose's voice was shaking as she held up the necklace for Dave to see.

"We should go." Dave agreed.


	16. Chapter 16

"No way!" Dave exclaimed as he steered the car towards Battery Park.

"What?" Becky and Rose asked leaning into the windshield trying to see what Dave spotted.

"Are you telling me neither of you saw that? I think they're using the Satellite dishes on the top of the buildings to direct and amplify the electromagnetic energy."

"Pull over! Pull over!" Rose insisted. "I'm going to move one of those satellites and disrupt the signal." She said getting out of the car.

"Rose wait," Dave stepped out of the car. "You can't move one of those things by yourself."

"I have to try." Rose said echoing Balthazar's earlier words.

"I'll help!" Becky exclaimed climbing out of the car.

"Really?" Dave asked. "But you hate heights!"

"I hate dying even more." She promised. Rose and Becky started to take off towards the neared satellite building when Dave call to Becky.

"Do you remember the letter I wrote when we were in the sixth grade? Friend or girlfriend?" He asked. "I never say what you circled so in case I die tonight...could you please tell me?"

"Don't die and I'll tell you." She said walking away.

* * *

"You sure you're up for this?"Rose asked once she and Becky were on the roof. Becky glanced up at the long tower they'd have to climb to reach the satellite.

"Yeah...Yes. defiantly. Um...Are you going to climb all the way up there in those?" Becky pointed to Rose's stylish but not so functional heels.

"Probably not the best idea." Rose agreed kicking the shoes off and starting to climb up the side of the satellite tower.

* * *

Turning his car down the road parallel to Battery Park, Dave almost drove straight into Horvath. Snapping his fingers, Dave magically charged up the coil he mounted on Balthazar's car and zapped Horvath's cane. The charge overpowered the cane forcing it to go flying away. Taking full advantage of Horvath being magicless, Balthazar sent Horvath flying a hundred feet. A Brass bull came charging out of nowhere. Dave didn't dare leave the safety of Balthazar's car. Both the apprentice and sorcerer watched in amazement as Balthazar's steel eagle carried the copper bull away.

* * *

"Becky. Becky look at me!" Rose hollered across the tower at Becky who'd just glanced at the long way down. Becky looked over to Rose with wide frightened eyes. "We're almost there Becky." Rose assured her. "Look, we've just got to climb one more rung and then we'll be able reach it.

"O-okay." Becky stammered reaching up. At last the two girls were close enough to reach the satellite. Wrapping their legs around the tower rungs, Becky and Rose wrestled the satellite. "Rose, I think we can get it just one more push." With Becky pushing with all her might and Rose pulling as hard as she could, the girls we able to turn the satellite and break the connection. "I can't believe I did that." Becky remarked triumphantly as her feet touched the roof again.

"We have to see if it worked." Rose commanded as she stuffed her feet back her heels.

* * *

"Were we too late?" Becky panted as she and Rose joined Dave at the park. Dave was standing by the fence, Balthazar was sitting in the center of a fountain, cradling Veronica's body. Dave was asking Becky a hundred times over if she was okay.

"Balthazar?" Rose whispered stepping forward. "Dave what's he doing?" Rose glanced back at her brother.

"I-I don't know." Dave lied.

"It would be easier to believe you if you weren't such a terrible liar." Rose growled.

"He told me not to tell you." Dave explained.

"Come on Dave...tell me please." Rose begged.

"Rose I promised." Dave whined.

"You didn't promise him you wouldn't tell me." Becky stepped in.

"B-but...oh alright fine. Veronica is dead but Morgana's still alive." Dave told the two girls solemnly. "He's trying to capture Morgana's soul in his body. He said it's the only way to stop Morgana until I can find my ring."

"What? No!" Rose screamed running forward as she watched Morgana's soul begin to transfer to Balthazar's body.

"Rose no!" Dave lunged forward grabbing his sister by the arms. "Even if you could stop him, you could do more damage than good." Rose knew Dave was right. She stopped fighting against her brother and turned back to face him and Becky with teary eyes.

"What am I suppose to do?" She asked them.

"Remember your promise." Bathazar groaned throwing the Grimhold at Dave.

"Dave you can't." Rose pleaded with him.

"Maybe we should just wait in the car Rose." Becky suggested trying to guide Rose towards Balthazar's car.

"You promised you'd do whatever it takes to destroy Morgana." Balthazar reminded both his apprentices.

"No, no I can't!" Dave looked up from the Grimhold. "I won't lock you in this thing."

"How sweet." Morgana's voice mocked from Balthazar's lips. Because Dave and Rose failed to trap Balthazar and Morgana in the Grimhold, she escaped his body and materialized. Becky and Rose watched from the fence with horrified expressions as Balthazar collapsed. Rose wanted nothing more than to race forward and examine him but she knew that would only draw attention to Becky and herself.

"Oh man." Dave groaned. Morgana then loosed a stream of flames more powerful than even Balthazar could produce. To everyone's amazement, Dave acted on instinct and produced a vacuum strong enough to hold back her attack.

"No way!" Dave exclaimed. Morgana fired a plasma bolt at Dave, who now that he was able to cast magic without his ring, easily blocked the attack. "Now it's my turn." Dave muttered casting two plasma bolts and sending them in Morgana's direction. The bolts zoomed past Morgana and straight towards a nearby powershed.

"Is that the best that you can do?" Morgana scoffed. "You may have Merlin's powers, but you don't have his strength or his skill. You are still _weak._"

"But I'm not alone." Dave assured her as he fended off multiple attacks. When Dave's defensive shield had crumbled and it looked at last as if he'd lost, something remarkable happened. The wires from the power shed hand wrapped themselves around the park's streetlights. Acting like Dave's Tesla coils, the streetlamps began to electrocute Morgana from all sides. "I brought a little science with me." Dave stood triumphantly, ending Morgana with a final plasma bolt. Powering down the streetlamps, Dave sank to the knees. "I did it!"

"You did it!" Becky said with a congratulatory kiss. Rose ran to Balthazar's side as fast as she could, even losing a shoe along the way. Upon studying Balthazar's body, Rose quickly realized the sorcerer had no pulse.

"Dave...DAVE!" Rose called to her brother frantically.

"What? What's happing?" Dave asked walking to her side with Becky.

"He's not breathing." Rose answered her eyes quickly filling with tears again. "He doesn't have a pulse either." She cried as a fat tear rolled down her cheek.

"No, no, no!" Dave shook his head and let go of Becky's hand. "No, no. He can't die. I just...not now." Dave groaned his own eyes filling with water. "That's not good enough." Dave insisted. "Rose, Becky step back."

"Dave what are you doing?" Rose questioned, stepping aside as Dave asked. Following Rose's example Becky took several steps back.

"If Morgana can stop his heart, maybe I can start it." Dave charged up a plasma bolt between his two hands and shoving it into Balthazar's chest. "All right here we go bud. Here we go." Dave murmured charging up another bolt. "You with all your stupid rules! and your old man shoes." Dave growled charging up a third bolt and pushing it downwards. "Constantly saving me with that look in your eyes...Come on!" He shook Balthazar trying to wake him. "Come on!" Becky, with watery eyes of her own, had an arm wrapped around Rose who was full on weeping into her shoulder. Dave leaned back on his feet giving up.

"I had a dream." Balthazar coughed waking up. "You were insulting me Dave. Repeatedly."

"Me?" Dave managed to chuckle. "That's pretty weird, huh?"

"No," Balthazar sat up. "Kind of makes sense."

"Welcome back old man." Dave said helping the sorcerer to his feet.

"Ow!" Balthazar recoiled as a small hand struck his arm.

"If you ever do that to me again Balthazar Blake!" Rose said holding her hand back for another swing. Balthazar ignored her offending hand and pulled the girl in for a kiss. When the kiss was finished Balthazar noticed Rose wobbled as the separated. Assuming her injured, the sorcerer glanced down at her legs.

"Are you missing a shoe?" He smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Rose said looking down.

"Rose Stutler, you gave up a shoe for me." Balthazar continued to smile.

"She'd willingly give up much more." A voice spoke softly. Rose, Dave, Becky and Balthazar looked for the source of the sound. All four pairs of eyes locked on the shimmering figure of Veronica. "That's quite a woman you've found for yourself Balthazar." The glowing form continued as she neared the group.

"Veronica I..." Balthazar began to explain.

"Hush my love that was not an accusation." Veronica assured. " Rose tried to stop you the second she realized what you were attempting to do. Had David not been here to stop her, she may have actually succeeded. Our Prime Merlinian showed incredible courage tonight as well. Defeated Morgana is no easy feat. Balthazar, you should be proud of your two apprentices and the work they accomplished tonight. I know you've carried guilt with you all this time. It wasn't your fault what happened to me. It was mine. If I had been more sensitive towards Maxim's feelings, All of this could have been avoided. Sacrificing myself was penance for what I'd caused."

"But it wasn't your fault." Dave stepped forward. "Horvath would have done all this without an excuse. It was just easier to blame you and Balthazar."

"Dave's right." Rose agreed. "And you're still here, maybe Dave can bring you back like he did for Balthazar."

"Sweet child." Veronica smiled. "I'm afraid that would not work. Unlike Balthazar I was fighting against Morgana for a very long time. If anything I have been freed thanks to the efforts of the four of you. Yes, even you Rebecca. Your personal triumph tonight deserves recognition. It's remarkable what one person will do for love."

"That reminds me." Rose said digging in her pocket." I have something for you. Well...Balthazar did a few thousand years ago." Rose said pulling out the necklace Balthazar had carried with him for so long. Kicking off her other shoe, Rose walked through the fountain waters to where Veronica's body still laid in the center. Once the necklace was in place, Rose sloshed back towards Dave, Becky, Balthazar and Morgana. "It suits you." Rose smiled.

"Now I have a gift for you." Veronica said holding her right arm out. Horvath's cane floated towards them. "Rose, being the closest to the cane, reached out and took it. "I only ask two things of you Rose."

"Anything." Rose promised.

"First, that you will always look after our Balthazar. He may be wise in his years, but sometimes it wouldn't hurt for him to step out of his head for awhile." Veronica jested. "Second, if you wouldn't mind, it'd like you to continue to wear my ring. Truth, fairness and honesty are all things any woman would strive for. To be a sorceress who posses all three traits is incredible. So please honor your strengths by wearing it."

"I'll never take it off." Rose assured as she slipped the ring off of Horvath's cane and onto her hand.

"To all of you, I have this to say," Veronica said as her image began to flicker. "from this day forth, I will be watching over all of you. Take care of each other. Balthazar, you know what to do." With those last words Veronica disappeared.

"What did she mean, you'll know what to do?" Dave asked as Rose handed him his ring back.

"We have to burn her body, and spread the ashes in the grass. It's the traditional funeral ceremony for Merlinians." Balthazar said grimly. Once Veronica's funeral ceremony had concluded, Becky, Dave, Rose and Balthazar prepared to go home.

"You kids take the car." Balthazar insisted. "Rose and I will walk back to the hotel."

"Wait, what are you going to do with those?" Becky asked pointing to Drake Stone and Abigail William's charms that were still attached to Horvath's cane.

"We'll have to give them back." Dave insisted. "And I suppose put Abigail back in the Grimhold."

"Yes we will." Balthazar agreed. "Tomorrow. For now, let's everyone get some rest. It's been a long day."

"Let's go home." Rose said reaching for Balthazar's hand.

"See you guys in the morning." Dave smiled as he and Becky headed towards the Rolls Royce.

"Oh, Dave, your note." Becky laughed as she walked to the car with him. "Friend or girlfriend?"

"I don't care." Dave insisted, stealing a kiss.

"Girlfriend. Definitely girlfriend." She laughed before getting in the car.


	17. Chapter 17

**One Year Later (To The Day)**

"It's going to be so nice to see them again." Becky smiled as she and Dave drove down the busy New York City streets. The two were returning from their Honeymoon and it had been a month since either of them had seen Balthazar or Rose.

"How long do you think it will be before Balthazar starts harassing me to begin training again?" Dave chuckled as he turned down a less crowded street.

"I'm sure he missed you just as much as you missed them." Becky assured her husband who prepared to park the car.

"Well there it is." Dave sighed as he stepped out of the car and onto the pavement.

"The place that started it all." Becky agreed as they stared at the front door together. Over the past year Rose and Balthazar had been spending whatever time wasn't occupied by sorcery, building up Balthazar's old business. What had really surprised Dave, was that it had been his sister's idea. She willingly quit her modeling job to join Balthazar behind the counter at the Arcana Cabana. "You did tell them we were coming home today didn't you?" Becky had talked to Rose just the other night, but she'd only mentioned that she and Dave would visit once they were home.

"I wanted to surprise them." Dave grinned. "Come on, it looks like they're getting ready to close."

"Hello?" Dave shouted as he stepping into the store. "I'm looking for this note. It blew into your store."

"What a coincident. Same thing happened to an old friend of mine." Balthazar smiled as he watched his friends enter the shop. "It's good to see you." Balthazar said hugging his male apprentice. "Married life suits you Becky." He complimented the blonde before pulling her into a hug of her own.

"Oh, thank you." Becky smiled.

"Balthazar? Rose's voice drifted down from their apartment upstairs. "Is that them? Are they home?" Not bothering to wait for a response, Rose came bounding down the stairs. "Becky! Dave!" Her face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning the second she spotted her brother and sister-in-law. "My god I thought you'd never come home." Rose flung her arms around Dave and Becky pulling them together for one big hug.

"We were only gone for a month." Becky laughed when she and Dave were released from their sister's grasp.

"Well it felt like much longer." Rose insisted.

"She's only saying that because she's been working so hard lately." Balthazar explained as he flipped the opened sign to closed.

"Now that's something I'd like to see." Dave chuckled. For as long as Dave could remember, Rose had put more effort into getting out of hard work than doing the actual work. Since moving in with Balthazar and quitting her job, Rose had apparently turn into a workaholic.

"David if you continue to mock me, Balthazar and I won't give you your wedding present." Rose huffed.

"Oh that reminds me!" Dave said running out to the car.

"Dave you can't carry all that by yourself!" Becky said following after him. The couple returned, their arms weighed down with bags and packages. "Now we tried to get everything you asked for..." Becky said digging through the bags. "Rose I brought you some of that French perfume you love. Oh and Dave picked these out for you." Becky said handing her a large shoe box. Rose lifted the lid to reveal a surprisingly stylish pair of Italian boots. "They're one hundred percent leather of course." Over the last month Dave and Becky had been in and out of so many countries it was surprising they'd had enough time to gather so much.

"Becky made sure we got all the spices and herbs you needed." Dave said handing two burlap sacks to Balthazar. "Oh, and while we were in China, we picked up something special for the both of you." He explain removing a long flat object wrapped in a red cloth from one of the bags.

"What is it?" Rose asked as the object was handed to Balthazar.

"Help me open it and we'll find out." Balthazar insisted. Gripping half of the object, Rose was able to help Balthazar remove the cloth.

"It's a piece of wood." Rose remarked, looking up at the newlyweds confused.

"Flip it over!" Dave said impatiently. He was anxious to see his sister and his master's reaction to their gift. Gently turning the piece of wood to its reverse side, Rose and Balthazar were about to read the inscription. Well Rose could read half of it at least.

"Veronica." She said reading the name that had been carved across the top.

"The rest is her name in Mandarin, Latin, and a Dialect of Ancient Runes." Balthazar explained pointing to each language in turn.

"Yeah, it's an ancestral tablet. We had it made in a shop that specializes in that sort of thing." Dave told the older couple. "Chinese families set up a home alter for all of their relatives who have...past on."

"We thought that maybe you could put it somewhere here, or upstairs, that way She'll know you're thinking about her." Becky said softly.

"It's beautiful, thank you." Balthazar whispered.

"I know just the place." Rose said carrying the tablet towards the stairs that led to the apartment. With Balthazar's help, she secured the tablet on a shelf that hung near the staircase. "There now every time we come to work or head home we'll be about to see it and we'll think of her. It's perfect. Thank you both so much." Rose hugged her brother and his wife again. "Well, I think it's time Balthazar and I give you our gift. We've made you wait a month for it already."

"Just a moment Rose, let me get my coat." Rose, Dave and Becky didn't bother pointing out the fact that Balthazar's favorite leather jacket was slung over the counter. They all just figured Balthazar was getting something related to the surprise

"We'll wait for you outside!" Rose hollered up the stairs before ushering her guests outside.

"What? Outside?" Dave whined. "I thought we were getting a present."

"You are." Rose promised but we have to go for a walk to get it.

"Sorry about that. No one thought it important to mention that my coat was laying on the counter." Balthazar joined the others outside. He had returned seemingly empty-handed except for one of Rose's lightweight sweatshirts. "I brought you this in case you get cold."

"Thank you, Hun." Rose said zipping up the sweatshirt that Balthazar brought her.

"So where exactly are we going?" Becky asked after the group had walked a block or two.

"We're almost there, just a few buildings more." Balthazar insisted as he and Rose led the way hand in hand.

"Here we are!" Rose declared as her and Balthazar stopped short.

"You bought us a building?" Dave asked not looking up at what the building was.

"They bought us a radio station!" Becky shrieked excitedly.

"Wha..." Dave glanced up to find a building marked 'W-M.E.R.L.I.N.' "You guys...we can't...this is too much!" He shook his head.

"Um...Yes he's right...it's too much. We can't accept this." Bucky nodded.

"What? No you have to!" Rose frowned. "It's all paid off. Balthazar went through a lot of trouble to get you guys all the right permits, even a registered channel. And you haven't even seen inside yet! At least look inside before you say no. Balthazar you have the keys." Balthazar reached inside his pants pocket for his key ring. He found the keys, but when he pulled them from his pockets a small square box fell out.

"Oh you dropped something buddy." Dave said picking up the box. Balthazar tried to quickly snatch the box from Dave, but when he did the apprentice's fingers fumbled. The box fell to the ground again, this time falling open, a diamond ring rolled out with it.

"Balthazar, what is that?" Rose asked as she watched her brother and the sorcerer scrabble for the ring.

"I suppose the surprise is ruined now." Balthazar said collecting the ring from the ground, but remaining on his knees. "Rose Stutler, would you do this _old man_ the honor of becoming his wife?" Rose was shocked. In all the time she'd spent with Balthazar she honestly hadn't expected him to ask her so soon.

"Say yes!" Dave and Becky shouted at the same time when Rose remained silent for too long.

"Sorry, yes of course! A thousand times over, yes!" Rose walked forward and allowed Balthazar to place the ring on her hand. He did, and then swept the girl off her feet and into a romantic kiss.

"Alright, quit showing off you two." Dave groaned. To him it was like watching his parents make out.

"Right, the inside." Rose breathed flustered. Becky and Dave were overwhelmed by the interior of the radio station.

"Are these original Beatles albums?" Becky grinned as she spotted the collection of records that Balthazar and Rose had supplied her with.

"Yes." Balthazar promised. "I think one or two of them are signed."

"And there's a full basement where Dave can do experiments, practice his sorcery. And an apartment up stairs just like at the Cabana!" Rose rambled. "Please say you'll keep it! You have to!" Becky looked to Dave. He knew how much she wanted this and they both they couldn't live in the lab forever, plus it was already paid for.

"Of course we'll keep it! It's our wedding present." Dave grinned.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Becky bounced up and down with excitement.


End file.
